Door-to-door testing on in Agra’s Khandoli block
Two lab technicians cover a total of eight gram panchayats in a day. There are about 41 gram panchayats in Khandoli block having nearly 200 villages
DR UPENDRA KUMAR,
medical officer in-charge, CHC
AGRA : Covid samples of 294 suspected patients have been collected and tested so far in the ongoing five-day mega testing drive launched in Khandoli block of Agra district on May 5. The drive will end on May 9.
As many as 176 teams, each comprising an accredited social health activist (ASHA) and an anganwadi worker, are going from door-to-door in Khandoli block as part of a statewide effort to identify suspected patients of coronavirus in rural areas, test them and ensure treatment/medicines/admissions of those found infected. These teams are being monitored by teams of UNICEF and WHO.
Community health centre (CHC), Khandoli, is one of the 15 CHCs marked in rural belt of Agra district. Similar teams have been constituted in other blocks having CHCs covering other rural parts of the district.
“On May 5, 6,840 houses were contacted by our twomember teams. On the second day (Thursday), 6,828 houses and on the third day (Friday), 6,904 houses were contacted by our surveillance teams which marked out symptomatic cases, distributed medical kits and guided them about isolation on concept of trace, test and treat. Those having Covid symptoms are motivated to go for the test and medical kit is provided to them as each ASHA worker carries six medical kits for a day,” said Dr Upendra Kumar, the medical officer in-charge, CHC, Khandoli.
“The cases traced on the first day as symptomatic were tested on Thursday and out of 137, three villagers were found Covid positive. On Friday, 157 samples were tested and two of were found positive,” he added. “We are working according to a micro plan drafted for each day of the five-day drive,” Dr Kumar said.
“Besides, there are two lab technicians attached to every CHC and are informed about suspected Covid cases. These lab technicians conduct rapid antigen test and if anu villager is found positive, they are advised to isolate themselves and have medicines from the kit provided,” he added.
“Two lab technicians cover a total of eight gram panchayats in a day. There are about 41gram panchayats in Khandoli block having nearly 200 villages,” Dr Kumar said.