Five mobile medical dispensaries to screen residents in Erode Corpn.

Five mobile medical dispensaries to screen residents for influenza like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), conditions that are associated with COVID-19, were flagged off at the Corporation office here on Monday.

District Collector C. Kathiravan flagged off the vehicle in the presence of Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan and other officials. Under the theme ‘Mission Zero’ and ‘Let’s Be Covid-Free Together’, the programme was sponsored by Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana and was supported by Aaditya Masala, RD International School, and City Hospital.

M. Abdul Hasan, managing director of the hospital, said that each team comprising a doctor, a nurse and a pharmacist, would visit the hotspots, slum areas and congested areas in the corporation limits and screen residents for symptoms. Those with COVID-19 symptoms would be taken to the District Headquarters and Hospital, where their swab samples would be taken. Camps would be held both in the morning and evening and each mobile unit is scheduled to screen 1,000 persons a day.

Mr. Kathiravan told presspersons that 50,494 swab samples were taken so far in the district, in which 389 tested positive and 83 locations were sealed. He said the civic body had conducted 70 fever surveillance camps in the past one week in which 32 tested positive. “Adequate beds are available in hospitals in the district for treating patients,” he said.