In view of the spurt in coronavirus infection and casualties in Chittoor, the district administration has cautioned the people to immediately get them tested for the virus in case they show any symptom, and to get compulsorily registered with the ‘triage centres’.
Collector M. Hari Narayanan and Deputy District Medical and Health Officer P. Ravi Raju conducted a series of inspections on the community health centers in Karveti Nagaram, Puttur, Nagari and Satyavedu mandals on Thursday.
Speaking to the media at Nagari, Deputy DM&HO and district nodal officer (triage centres) Dr. Ravi Raju said during the inspections, it was found that many people after testing positive were putting themselves in home isolation without getting diagnosed at the triage centres.
“Self medication and home isolation without triaging are risky as it may lead to high casualties and fast spread of the virus,” he said.
The nodal officer said that there was a big misconeption that the youth and those below 45 years of age were not prone to fatalities and serious infections. “Many people are putting themselves in home isolation and taking self-medication, besides moving freely in public places, sometimes even without wearing mask. The Collector has initiated meaures to set up 20 triage centres at all community hospitals, in addition to the existing ones at the district hospital in Chittoor, SVIMS, SVRR and Padmavathi Hospitals in Tirupati,” said Dr. Ravi Raju.
The Deputy DM&HO said the field staffs of the COVID Task Force had been instructed to guide all the patients, irrespective of their age, to the triage centers in their respective areas. “All the patients need to undergo blood tests, X-ray and ECG procedures compulsorily to assess the viral load and co-morbid conditions. The medical officers at the triage centres will decide whether the patients will be put under home isolation or sent to COVID Care Centres or COVID Hospitals,” he said.
‘Mobile triaging’
The health authorities have also plans to deploy ‘mobile triaging’ module under the jurisdiction of various community hospitals, to conduct relevant tests to COVID patients at their doorsteps .
“This mobile triaging intends to avoid travel of patients to hospitals, thereby curtailing the virus spread. From the patient’s doorstep, we will decide whether they will be shift to COVID Care Cebters or hospital,” Dr. Ravi Raju added.
