Punjab: Door-to-door survey scans 38L houses, detects 5,600 cases

In the door-to-door survey conducted across Punjab, ASHA workers have so far found 5,600 Covid positive patients in both rural and urban areas of the state, the latest figures from the state government showed.

So far, around 38 lakh houses have been approached and 1.74 crore individuals screened in the state.

While 99,000 of those screened were found symptomatic, 1.78 lakh rapid antigen tests were conducted on the spot which detected 5,600 individuals as positive.

Most of these positive patients were sent into home isolation, while only 550 positive patients were sent for hospital admission.

Punjab Health Systems Corporation chairman Amardeep Singh Cheema said, “This survey has put us in better position in fight against Covid-19. Now we have much clear picture about the symptomatic patients all over the state. ASHA workers have done a commendable job during this survey and knocked on every door.”

He added, “Fight against Covid-19 is all about early detention and starting treatment. We provided Fateh kits to all 5,600 positive patients found during the survey. Most of these patients would have not reported their symptoms and passed the virus to others. But survey found them. At the same time, we admitted serious patients to hospitals.”

“Survey is on. Most of the rural area is covered and now focus is on the urban areas,” said Cheema.

Working just on incentives with no permanent salary, ASHA workers were on the forefront to conduct this survey.

Parminder Kaur Mann, state level ASHA union leader, said, “We had conducted similar survey last year too. This year too, government didn’t provide us gloves and masks for the survey. Besides, there are people who would allege that our motive was not to conduct survey but to spread Covid-19. Often people argued with us and refused to provide information. It is true that awareness has increased among public over last one year. So, working conditions were not as adverse as was last year during survey.”

Parminder claimed that ASHA worker Babita Ram Pal from Gurdaspur died of Covid-19 in village Bhaini Mian Khan in Gurdaspur.

“Babita turned positive during the survey. She was admitted to hospital. She was a widow and was living at her mother’s place for many years. Her father had already died. Her mother also died while Babita was admitted to hospital. Babita was discharged from hospital after recovery. She died of heart attack two days after coming back from hospital. Now health authorities are saying that she died after turning negative. But don’t we all know that Covid-19 too has been linked with heart attack…,” said Parminder.

She said that government should pay compensation to her family and give a job to at least one of the sons.

Dr Amrinder, SMO, Bhaini Mian Khan, said, “Babita had become positive during Covid-19 survey. She lost her mother during treatment and later she herself died during treatment at Government Medical College, Amritsar. She is survived by two sons. We will put up her case for compensation and job for her son according to guidelines.”