The setting up of COVID First-line Treatment Centres (FLTCs) seems unlikely in Ernakulam in view of the current strategy being adopted by the Health department to focus mainly on offering tele-consultation in most of the cases and admitting in treatment facilities only those with serious co-morbidities.
The demand for FLTCs, which were available in the peak of the second wave, has not come yet even from local bodies witnessing a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Even the Domiciliary Care Centre (DCC), which was opened following the third wave at Mattancherry, has not yet seen an admission. There has been no enquiry yet for admission at the DCC as the majority of the cases were showing mild symptoms that could be managed through home isolation.
At the peak of the second wave, the rest of the family members were shifted to FLTCs after the confirmation of the first case. However, the third wave was seeing a different picture in which the rest of the family members are getting infected without much delay and they preferring home isolation, according to the authorities.
With the government recommending tele-consultation and home isolation in the majority of the cases, the authorities in the district have stepped up facilities at the primary health centres to provide telemedicine facility. Doctors or support staff are available round-the-clock to attend to the calls made by those requiring help.
Senior officials of the district health wing said that patients, who wanted additional help, are given appointment to report at the outpatient wing. Most of the people getting infected in the third wave are being taken care of by providing medicine. Those requiring further help are admitted at the Aluva taluk hospital. People with co-morbidities are directed to higher centres, they said.
The health wing hopes that the surge may show a decline by the third week of February and peter out by early March. Already, the number of cases has started going down in areas such as Idukki, Thodupuzha, and Ayyampuzha, it said.
