The Madhya Pradesh government plans to leverage the increased awareness of COVID-19 and the network of private practitioners to ramp up fever clinics across the State to detect symptoms early, augment sampling, streamline the referral system and bring down mortalities.

As cases surge, and fan out over newer territories, around 1,000 fever clinics planned in both urban and rural areas will act as the first point of care for possible COVID-19 patients, facilitating early identification and treatment of influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory infections which may help stymie the coronavirus’s advance, say officials.

The clinics provide an opportunity, says Mohammed Suleman, Health Additional Chief Secretary, to a suspect to directly approach a clinic even if certain areas are not monitored by health workers. “People now know reporting in time to hospitals can reduce the risk,” he said.

Initial fatalities in the State can be ascribed to late presentation at hospitals, added Mr. Suleman, besides co-morbidities. “Active surveillance and early testing can help counter that. And fever clinics can aid this,” he said.

The onus, with presumably increased awareness over months, rests on the community. Few fever clinics, already operational in hotspots Bhopal and Indore, were witnessing increased footfall in the past 10-15 days, Mr. Suleman said. At a clinic in Bhopal’s Bairagarh, Day 1 witnessed seven patients, which jumped to 36 the second day. Whereas, 166 patients approached a clinic in Banganga in Indore on the first day, and 336 on the second.

The clinics are being set up in densely populated areas.