PremiumA team of doctors and other healthcare workers will make door-to-door visits from next week to screen people for Covid-19 in Bengaluru, said Karnataka revenue minister R Ashoka on Monday.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) would launch the programme on 16 August, said Ashoka, who held a meeting with officials of the civic body to assess the Covid-19 situation.
To start with, two wards would be selected in each Assembly segment for the programme. A team of doctors, paramedics and ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers would visit every house and screen the households.
An app has been developed for the programme, said the minister, adding that data after the screening would be uploaded on it.
The doctors would collect details pertaining to symptoms, co-morbidities and vaccinations. In case of any symptomatic patients, on-the-spot tests would be conducted and medical kits provided.
"We have also decided that a team of doctors will reach a household within six hours of a patient testing positive. We will provide medical kits also and they will have the names and phone numbers of the doctors," read a government statement.
The patients, quarantined at home, can contact the doctors any time and this would help the doctors monitor the infected, it said. Gradually, the door-to-door visits by doctors would be extended to all the 29 lakh houses in Bengaluru, the statement said.
Initially, around 108 teams would be despatched, it said.
Noting that the daily Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru have been around 400 over the last 40 days, the minister said: "Currently, 181 patients have been admitted to the government hospitals and 462 to private hospitals."
A huge number of cases were being reported from Yelahanka, Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli constituencies, and most of the cases were from apartments.
"We will ask marshals and health officers to keep tabs on apartments and if anyone is stopped, criminal action will be initiated. We will come up with detailed guidelines soon in this regard and keep tabs on hotels also," he said.
"We will review the Covid-19 situation after August 15 and take tough decisions if the situation warrants," he added.
With inputs from agencies.
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!