Thiruvananthapuram : Medical teams shall visit medical camps on all days, instructed Health Minister Veena George at a high-level meeting held Friday. Medical team for each camp shall be constituted by doctors from hospitals located in respective local body limits. Also, medical camps shall organised across districts from time to time.
There was elaborate discussions focused on hard-hit districts of Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha. Basic amenities and treatment facilities have been arranged for at all places. In view of rains continuing, the minister asked DMO’s for added attention to these districts.
People exhibiting symptoms should be separated from the rest and those testing positive for Covid should be shifted to DCCs or CFLs. Family members of Covid positive persons should be kept under close watch. Services of psychologists must be availed to ensure mental wellbeing of camp inmates. To prevent peple from catching rat fever(leptospirosis), all including volunteers who are likely to come into contact with contaminated water, should be given Doxycycline doses, the minister said.
Separate scheme should be formulated to ensure all those at camps are vaccinated. Canvassing is underway to draw up lists for identifying who are yet to receive their first shot, those who might be due for their second and also persons whose due time has expired. All at the camp should be compulsorily vaccinated as per the status indicated in the list.
Continued rains also increase possibility of other contagious infections. There should be special vigil maintained to see no disease outbreak occurs. As a preventive step, it should be seen there are no mosquito breeding patches in the camp surroundings. Only boiled and cooled, or chlorinated water should be used for drinking purposes.
Those returning home from camps should exercise added caution. The house and surroundings should be disinfected. Wells should be chlorinated before one starts using them. People should guard against snake bites. Awareness campaign should be strengthened for wider benefit, said the minister.
Attendees at the meeting chaired by Health Minister comprised Principal Secretary to Health Department Dr. Rajan N Khobragde, NHM State Mission Director Dr. Ratan Khelkar, health Department Directors Dr. VR raju, Additional Directors Dr. Meenakshy, Deputy Directors, District medical officers, District Programme magers and District Surveillance officers.
