Call centre at corp main office, action plan readied

Thiruvananthapuram: The city corporation will convert 10% of wards in hospitals under the administration of civic body into isolation wards. The Covid-19 preventive action plan released by city corporation here on Thursday recommends conversion of 10% of wards in primary health centres, community health centres and taluk hospitals into isolation wards.
A call centre will function till 5pm at corporation main office to allay the concerns of public regarding Covid-19 and to provide advisories. Public can contact call centre numbers: 9496434430 or 9496434440. Health officer of the city corporation will co-ordinate the task of transferring patients to hospitals in cases which will be reported by help desk, health department and corporation staff.
The civic body will also put in place a surveillance system to monitor people who have arrived in the city from foreign countries affected by Covid-19. The system will also ensure the involvement of ward councillors. Health inspectors in various circles will take up initiatives to execute guidelines issued by health department to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The corporation will also launch a series of awareness campaigns using LED walls, distribution of pamphlets, mike announcements and awareness campaigns through social media to dispel rumours and disseminate the right kind of information about the disease.
Sanitization kiosks will be installed in corporation’s zonal and circle offices and other public institutions. The action plan also enlists steps for distribution of food to students of anganwadis.
Health officer will monitor the Covid-19 prevention measures undertaken by civic body and will handover reports to mayor, chairman of health standing committee and secretary. This report will be handed over to the department of health. Health wing staff, health inspectors and nursery teachers took part in the meeting convened by mayor K Sreekumar on Thursday. The corporation officials said that the action plan is being implemented only as precautionary measure and that there was no need for any kind of panic among city residents.
The corporation convened two meetings ahead of preparation of action plan after state government announced strict regulations in the state.