With COVID-19 transmission relentlessly going on in the State, Kerala will aim at vaccinating as many people and as fast as possible and keep them safe from serious disease and death.
Health Minister Veena George, who called an emergency meeting of senior Health officials here on Tuesday to review the State’s preparations for meeting a possible third wave, has directed that at least one dose of vaccine be administered to all persons above 18 years in the State by end of September.
Plan of action
All districts should thus strengthen vaccination campaigns by preparing a clear plan of action and ensure that there are no delays in vaccine distribution. The State will take all steps to prevent the shortage of syringes, something that has been affecting the pace of COVID-19 vaccination. The Centre has promised to deliver 1.11 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the State, said Ms. George.
The Minister said that as all indications pointed to a surge in cases after Onam, hospitals needed to be prepared to meet likely increased caseload.
Stressing that the COVID-19 mortality rate needed to be brought down, she said it must be ensured that those who have tested positive for COVID and are in home isolation are following all directives of the Health Department.
The department should be able to locate all COVID-positive persons in home isolation who might have developed serious disease and ensure that they are given proper medical treatment, she added.
Ms. George has directed that COVID-19 testing be increased as much as possible. If anyone who participates in a public event tests positive, then all persons who had attended the said event should undergo testing compulsorily. Any one with influenza-like symptoms and those who might have come into contact with known cases of COVID-19 should necessarily test themselves for the disease and should not resort to self-treatment.
Third wave
The meeting also reviewed the preparations in hospitals in view of a likely third wave. District medical officers informed the meeting about how hospital beds, oxygen beds, ICUs and ventilators were being readied and how paediatric care facilities, including wards and ICUs, were being augmented. Oxygen availability has been ensured and non-COVID care was also not being ignored.
Those who participated in the meeting included Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Asha Thomas, Principal Secretary (Health) Rajan Khobragade and other senior Health officials.
