The number of COVID-19 cases in the State are on the decline but people should still be careful and not ease their guard, cautioned Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Saturday.
He thanked doctors, nurses and other medical and health staff, for rendering their services round the clock for the last two months. The State government has succeeded in conveying the message that at a time of crisis, government alone would come to the rescue. It became successful in creating confidence among the general public in government hospitals.
Addressing a video conference with health officials here on Saturday, Mr. Rajender said that till Friday, the entire government machinery was working on COVID, but with the relaxation of lockdown norms, all departments would be busy with their own work. This would increase the burden on the health department. Therefore, every employee right from ASHA workers to tertiary care staff, should work for some more days with the same dedication. They should take personal precautions to remain healthy and not catch infection. All those working at the field level were given masks, sanitisers, chloroquine tablets that should be used without fail, he said.
As per the new guidelines of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), the number of people to be tested would come down and those with mild symptoms could be treated at their homes itself. If these were implemented, the number of COVID patients in Gandhi Hospital would further come down, he said.
He reviewed the measures taken to curb the transmission of coronavirus and treat positive cases.
Health officials informed the Minister that for every 1,000 people, one ASHA worker was allotted and each one was given a responsibility of 100 households. They were visiting houses allotted to them daily to check temperatures of people by a thermo scanner, screen them for coronavirus symptoms and get those with symptoms tested.
Mr. Rajender told district level officials that it was their responsibility to ensure that ASHA workers did their job sincerely. If there were pregnant women in containment zones, they should be tested for COVID-19. Patients who come for emergency medical care should not be subjected to hardships, he said.
