Village heads asked to report those with history of overseas travel

LUCKNOW: In order to check the coronavirus, the state government will increase surveillance in the tier II and III cities as well as the rural pockets where gram pradhans will have to report villagers who have returned from abroad.

“Cases from Pilibhit, Jaunpur and Kanpur have got our attention as the two cities (Pilibhit and Jaunpur) have big rural pockets while Kanpur is a densely populated city and we do not want the numbers to go up from the one case reported till now,” said Dr Vikasendu Agrawal, state surveillance officer in the health department.

The state government has contacted 10,000 gram pradhans, asking them whether they have any villager who has returned from abroad. A list of such names, even if the person has come back from another state, has been prepared and given to the chief medical officer of the respective districts.

“At present, the gram pradhans have been asked to keep tabs on the people who came in last two weeks. In the next round, we will start collecting data,” said Alok Kumar, principal secretary.

After a second coronavirus positive case in Pilibhit, the district health office has been asked to prepare a full contact list of the two patients. The second case was a contact of the first one. Surveillance in the entire Saharanpur has been increased after the case was reported in Shamli.

“Our strategy is to increase surveillance at all levels. After urban dwellings, rural ones are on the chart. Rural folk interact socially regularly. Hence, the focus has been increased,” said Dr Agrawal.

All community health centres (CHCs) will be converted into level one Covid hospitals so that no suspected patient has to travel long-distance and can get the healthcare facility at the nearest place. According to estimates, over one lakh people came back to various districts in UP.

“Keeping people inside homes is the only prevention that will work. This has to be done, both at urban and rural levels as people from villages work abroad. The infection can travel with them,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, head of the Aastha Geriatric hospital.

“The health, police and local administration will work in coordination. At the district level, the CMOs, SPs and the district administration will work with inter-departmental coordination,” said Dr Agrawal.