The State government has so far identified over 50.73 lakh households in the State as having people ‘vulnerable’ during the COVID-19 outbreak and plans to monitor them closely.
The household survey conducted by Department of Health and Family Welfare reveals that 67% of the survey has been completed so far. Of the 1.68 crore households in the State, data has been collected from 1.13 crore households. The survey is being carried out to monitor the health condition of the population that is most vulnerable and would need assistance.
Those identified as ‘vulnerable’ includes senior citizens, those with comorbidities, pregnant and lactating women, those with Influenza like Illnesses (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illnesses (SARI) and those with COVID-19 symptoms.
A majority of the vulnerable are senior citizens in 48.35 lakh households. Pregnant women and lactating mothers were found in 4.14 lakh households, while those with comorbidities were in 1.37 lakh households. “The most vulnerable group, however, are those with SARI, ILI or COVID-19 symptoms. So far, we have identified 13,341 households with such patients,” an official in the department said. Some households have more than one person from the vulnerable category.
The highest number of people with SARI, ILI and COVID-19 symptoms so far have been identified in Kalaburagi district. As many as 1,902 of the 13,341 households identified so far are from that district.
Speaking at a press conference, Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said that once the survey was completed, the department would monitor their health through the State government’s Apthamitra app. “All of them may not need intervention. The idea is to monitor the health status of these groups and ensure that timely medical help is given to them when required,” he said.