The border districts of Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur are geared up to tackle the situation arising out of COVID-19 outbreak.
Addressing a meeting of officials, religious heads, representatives from transport organisations and NGOs at Vellore, District Collector A. Shanmuga Sundaram announced that the district administration was ready to face any situation although Vellore district had not registered any COVID-19 case.
He said that as per the guidelines announced by the Health Ministry, a mechanism was in place to screen and isolate individuals showing symptoms.
Mr. Shanmuga Sundaram said steps were in place and awareness drives were on to spread information on COVID-19.
He said people who had returned from abroad in recent weeks had been screened while individuals with symptoms such as headache, fever, and infection in the eye, mouth or nose were advised to get themselves medically examined at taluk headquarters hospitals or to approach Government Vellore Medical College Hospital in Adukkamparai.
Isolation ward
The authorities had created an isolation ward at district headquarters hospitals with all medical apparatuses and facilities, he said.
All the entry and exit points of the three districts were screened by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
While the men would be screened for any illness, the material would be disinfected at the check points.
Similar rules were applicable for materials or goods being packed and transported from here, he said.
Prevention was the primary objective and treatment was a secondary option before the Health Department, said District Collector who sought the co-operation of everyone in facing this situation.
Public transport vehicles would be sanitised with the local bodies’ health officials and NGOs lending their support in the exercise, Mr. Shanmuga Sundaram said.
Prices soar
A participant from Rotary International suggested use of digital transaction to avoid transmission of virus through handling of currency notes. Participants have brought to the notice of the district administration on the “artificial scarcity” on masks, floor cleaners and other material. Mr. Shanmuga Sundaram cautioned against selling essential products at a higher price and asked the drug controllers to check and take appropriate action against the violators.
In Vellore, ordinary clinical masks disappeared from the selves of pharmacies. The reasons the pharmacists attributed was the demand and supply level.
The price of the ordinary mask had gone up from ₹5 to ₹25 and the masks were not available.
Joint Director-Medical Services Yasmeen advised the public against wearing face masks unnecessarily.
‘All steps taken’
She said all preventive steps had been taken and teams constituted for screening and monitoring and medical officers had been put on high alert about the arrival of international patients and also tourists in the city.
Ms. Yasmeen said certain simple steps had been suggested. to contain the spread of the virus
These include maintaining good hygiene, washing hands with sanitizer or soap, avoiding crowded places, and maintaining a safe distance from people suffering from cough or to sneeze would go a long way in minimising the chance of being infected.
The meeting was attended by Vellore Superintendent of Police Praveshkumar, Government Medical College and Hospital Dean R. Selvi, Deputy Director (Health Services) K.S.T. Suresh, District Revenue Officer J. Partheeban, Revenue Divisional Officer S. Ganesh, DRDA Project Director S. Malathi and Vellore Corporation Commissioner K. Krishnamoorthi.
