BBMP Commissioner calls for stricter measures to contain Covid

Bengaluru: In the wake of increasing COVID cases in the city, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad on Friday discussed with officials at a meeting the stricter preventive measures to be taken given the fact that the State shares its border with Maharashtra and Kerala where the cases have spiked.

Prasad called for effective measures to be taken by the civic body to contain the spread of coronavirus in view of the upcoming marriage season and religious events.

He said COVID testing teams were not collecting complete details of primary and secondary contacts of coronavirus victims such as address, pin code and mobile number. Such slackness would lead to complications in the further steps for case tracking and contact tracing, he noted.

The commissioner instructed that HC medical officers and supervisors at zonal level to review the details by cross checking and supportive supervision.

It was decided at the meeting that medical officers should keep in touch with private hospitals under each primary health care centre to enable them to collect swabs and details of ILI/SARI. The Covid testing for all the symptomatic and co-morbid people should be ensured. Testing should be organised at crowded and market places, he said.

There is an average of 2-3 cases in each ward and the medical officers have to ensure contract tracing.

Special commissioner (Health) Rajendra Cholan said that over the past 10 days our contact tracing has dropped and directed all teams to increase the numbers to at least 15 contacts per positive case.

Prasad stressed the need for contact tracing within 48 hours.

The commissioner said 80% positive patients are in home isolation and medical officers should ensure daily check up of these cases. Comorbid patients and elderly should be shifted to hospital on a priority, he said.

Prasad said that it's the responsibility of the BBMP to identify all the vulnerable people and ensure that they are vaccinated. Approximately 30,000 beneficiaries are being vaccinated everyday under BBMP, he said and claimed civic body accounted for 30% of the total vaccinated people in Karnataka. Online registration is a challenge for urban poor and slum population. Medical officers, ANMs and ASHA workers should help them through field level education and mobilization.

The commissioner informed that the survey to map comorbidities and elderly in the urban slums and other areas should be done immediately.

War on coronavirus

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♦ PHCs to plan to work for long hours to vaccinate more people

♦ Consent form is no more mandatory for Covaxin

♦ Teams to ensure same vaccine is given for both the doses