Covid-19 in Rajasthan: 40% of cases reported from rural areas, new SOPs issued

JAIPUR: Out of the total Covid patients in the state, around 40 per cent are from the rural areas, attracting the attention of the state government to strengthen healthcare facilities in villages and far-flung areas. The government has come up with a separate SOP for containment and management of cases in rural areas.
Currently, a large number of patients have to rush to urban areas when their condition deteriorate. The new SOP will help early detection of cases and timely treatment in health centres of rural areas. “The situation in rural areas has changed a lot. Earlier, 30% cases of the state were reported from rural areas, but now it has increased to 40%. A separate SOP has been issued to deal with the increasing number of cases in rural areas and for their treatment,” said a senior health department official.
A multi-pronged approach led by the gram panchayats (GP) and engaging the health sector, ICDS, schoolteachers, women self-help groups (SHGs) and other community-based organisations will be utilised for mobilising rural people in the fight against the pandemic, says the SOP.
Major tasks include preventive measures for the control of the pandemic, helping surveillance activities, support quarantine and isolation facilities and ensuring early treatment.
Focus of the government is now more on active surveillance for influenza-like illness/ severe acute respiratory infections (ILI/SARI), which should be done by ASHA with help of Village Health and Sanitation Committee (VHSC).
Symptomatic cases can be treated at the village level and cases with comorbidity/low oxygen saturation should be sent to higher centres.
As many as 350 community health centres will be converted into Covid care centres. Identified suspected cases will be linked for testing with the health facilities either through Covid rapid antigen testing or by referral of samples to nearest Covid testing laboratory.
The state government is introducing rapid antigen test in rural areas. For the purpose, training will be imparted to medical officers, lab technicians, lab assistant, data entry operator and other healthcare workers.
Recently, chief minister Ashok Gehlot had directed officials for posting 1,000 doctors and 25,000 nursing staff in rural areas. They will be posted at primary health centres and community health centres.
A system will be developed for monitoring of oxygen saturation of Covid patients under home isolation in rural areas. The SOP says it is desirable for each village to have adequate number of pulse oximeters and thermometers. A system of providing the pulse oximeters and thermometers on loan to families with a confirmed case of Covid should be developed through ASHA/ Anganwadi workers and village-level volunteers. The pulse oximeters and thermometers shoul dbe sanitized after each use with cotton/cloth soaked in alcohol-based sanitizer.