SHILLONG: The Health department, in coordination with the deputy commissioners, has come up with a micro-containment plan that lays special emphasis on testing and isolation, behavioural change management trainings, infrastructure requirements in districts to fix gaps and to increase the number of corona care centres in the state.
The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Commissioner and Secretary, Health, Sampath Kumar, with the deputy commissioners through video conferencing on Tuesday.
Kumar emphasised that if some positive cases are detected from any particular area within the state, the area will be declared as a containment zone and immediate contact tracing will be taken up to ensure that the positive cases are isolated with proper care.
Stress was laid on the fact that all contacts are to be necessarily tested, and even if they are tested negative, they must undergo the prescribed quarantine period.
The meeting noted that since the BSF does not have proper quarantine centres, the state government has pitched in to assist them by shifting around 150 positive persons to state-designated corona care centres.
The meeting took note of the fact that more than 90 per cent of the COVID-19 positive cases in the state were asymptomatic and all the patients were being treated at home.
Speaking on behavioural change management trainings, Kumar suggested that a ‘Children’s Durbar’ on the lines of ‘Dorbar Khynnah’ in Mawkynrew Block can be created and training can be imparted to children to effect behavioural changes. A children’s COVID-19 army can also be created for the purpose, he suggested.
DHS (MI) Dr. Aman War, who also attended the meeting, reiterated the need to increase the number of corona care centres in all districts so that the health care centres are not overburdened.
He suggested that each district should print their own receipts in case of imposition of fine for violation of protocols. This will bring in clarity with regards to the source of the funds.
South West Khasi Hills DC stated that is important to develop a sense of ownership among community members about the condition of PHCs/CHCs and for this, she suggested that a small amount of NREGA funds may be roped in for minor repair activities.
With regard to identification and resolving the infrastructural gap in PHCs/CHCs, the DC, West Khasi Hills stated that a construction committee has already been formed but the SDO was not available in Jowai to charge of the same. Kumar suggested that the services of the DRDA engineers can be utilised for the purpose.