Kottarakara, Punalur and Karunagapally taluk hospitals will now have the facility to collect swabs from persons returning from COVID 19-hit countries.
A decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting held at Kollam Collectorate on Saturday in the presence of Fisheries Minister J.Mercykutty Amma and Forest Minister K.Raju.
Special teams including doctors and nurses will be formed from these hospitals and trained at Government Medical College (GMC), Parippally.
Meanwhile, the swab sample collection of symptomatic persons and those belong to high-risk category will continue at GMC and Kollam District Hospital. Seven new ambulance services will be operated for the transportation of patients and surveillance will be strengthened at points where long-distance bus passengers are dropped.
MLAs will convene emergency meetings at their respective constituencies to intensify preventive measures and efforts to spread awareness.
Block and village panchayat presidents, secretaries, block medical officers, PHC medical officers, health supervisors, public health nurse supervisors and health inspectors have been instructed to attend.
Surveillance squads will be formed for all 16 health blocks and strict action will be taken against those who defy the instructions issued by the department.
Kollam currently has 370 persons under home quarantine and 18 persons in hospital isolation, sources said.
Four posters showcasing COVID-19 preventive measures were released by the Ministers on the occasion.
