Rural survey detects suspected cases in over 28k UP villages

LUCKNOW : Preliminary houseto-house statewide survey has detected symptomatic and suspected Covid positive cases in 28,742 villages of the state.

The survey of 79,512 villages was launched on May 5 under the state government’s testtrace-treat campaign to break the Covid infection chain.

Additional chief secretary, health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said the village surveillance committees detected symptomatic and suspected Covid positive cases only in 28,742 villages, claiming 68 percent of the villages were found free from Covid infection.

A health department official said the surveillance committee, comprising 1.54 lakh Accredited Social Health Actvists (ASHA), over one lakh Aganwadi workers and gram panchayat members had traced 4 lakh symptomatic cases in the villages.

“The rapid response teams have conducted sample test of over 5 lakh villagers and distributed medical kits among all the symptomatic villagers,” said the official.

“The plan is to conduct maximum sample test in the villages to trace people infected with Covid,” said Prasad.

A health department officer said the campaign was launched to identify the Covid positive cases in the 90,000 villages in Uttar Pradesh. The survey is on.

“We have already dispatched over one lakh medical kits for

the distribution in the villages, the state government plans to send around 20 lakh medical kits in the villages to intensify the fight against the Covid. The UP Medical Supply Corporation Limited has been directed to supply the medicine for the distribution in the villages, he said.

Facing flak over death of the suspected Covid patients in rural areas and dumping of the bodies in rivers, the state government has intensified the ‘test-trace-treat’ campaign.

Earlier the campaign was to run till May 11, but it was extended till May 18.

Now, the state government plans to run the campaign till surge of the Covid cases in the rural areas is not brought into control. To increase the coverage of Covid vaccination in the rural areas, the state government has ordered that villagers can get themselves registered on the Co-Win app at the common service centres.

No fee will be charged by the centres as the state government will reimburse the registration fee to the service centers.

The report sent by the integrated command and control centers in the 75 districts to the state health department is reviewed and monitored by the top health department officers. The state government has also announced Rs 200 per day remuneration for the ASHA and Aganwadi workers who have joined the campaign, the health department officer said.

The NITI Ayog has urged other states to replicate the Uttar Pradesh model, such proactive ‘test-trace-treat; model is a highly effective way of tackling the surge.