Jalandhar screening vulnerable for early intervention against virus

HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S FOCUS IS TO EXAMINE ELDERLY WITH COMORBIDITIES AND PREGNANT WOMEN

Jalandhar With the rising mortality rate of covid-19 cases in the district, the health department has started a door-to-door survey to screen people with comorbidities for early intervention. To date, over 35,000 people with comorbidities such as fever, TB and non-communicable diseases have been identified.

“The focus is to examine elderly residents with comorbidities and pregnant women, the groups most susceptible to covid-19, so that treatment could be given at an early stage,” said Dr Satish Kumar of the health department.

Jalandhar district is among the worst-hit with 3,627 positive cases reported till Thursday and 92 deaths so far. Twelve patients are critical and are on ventilator.

The door-to-door survey is being carried out by ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) and ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwives) workers and they have been asked to visit at least 20 houses per day from this month.

Deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Friday directed all private hospitals, medical stores and clinics that people who attended OPD, drug stores for the treatment of fever, cough, influenza-like illness and respiratory illness to intimate frontline workers or local administration to guide them for RT-PCR test. He added that all five 35,000 people, who had been found suffering from pre-existing diseases will be tested.