Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, September 3
Punjab has decided to allow free walk-in testing at government hospitals and mobile vans, and similar tests at a nominal labor cost not to exceed Rs 250 by private doctors and hospitals, to encourage an increase in testing for Covid to control the increase in cases in the state.
People who want their result right away can opt for the rapid antigen test, while the RT-PCR test will also be similarly available.
The state will also explore similar arrangements for rapid antigen testing by pharmacists / chemists, on the line of private hospitals and physicians.
The decision was made on Thursday by Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, who said the government will provide training and kits to private hospitals and doctors for testing, which will be allowed on the basis of Aadhaar card and mobile phone numbers, no questions asked or needed. for ‘Parchis’. With test results available for RAT in 30 minutes, this will lead to a substantial increase in testing and early diagnosis and treatment, he said.
Those who test positive via RAT or are symptomatic but negative can be retested via RT-PCR for confirmation, said the Chief Secretary, while reviewing the Covid situation with DCs and civil surgeons from Patiala, Bathinda, Amritsar , Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali Districts.
The Chief Secretary also asked the CDs to explore RAT testing in private hospitals and pharmacy / pharmacy stores, at a nominal labor cost not to exceed Rs 250 per test, with proper training and kits to be required. provide the government. Test results and data thus collected by private hospitals and chemists etc. can be uploaded to the government portal for further action, he added.
In another directive, amid the increase in cases and deaths in Punjab, the Chief Secretary has also instructed that the helpline number 104 should provide real-time information on the availability of beds by district. He directed DCs and Civil Surgeons to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen cylinders in their respective districts.
Vini asked CDs to review city or area positivity rates to better identify hotspots, with daily monitoring of rates and weekly monitoring of trends. All districts should have reasonable projections on hand for the month, he said, instructing them to also collect urban-rural data to allow better formulation of the action plan to address the problem.
He urged the district authorities to work with private hospitals to make them partners in the trials, and asked the DCs to organize meetings with these institutions through the IMA.
Taking note of the widespread rumors and fake news spreading on Covid, Vini called on elected representatives to step in and communicate directly with the people to clear up their misconceptions on the issue.
He also underscored the need to involve NGOs, religious organizations, etc., to spread awareness through expanding outreach. The BDOs should be properly informed and asked to contact the sarpanches in the villages to counter false propaganda, which endangers people’s lives, he added.
Health Secretary Hussain Lal underlined the need for comprehensive sampling and testing in the five worst affected districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali and Amritsar, with special attention to the age group over 40.
Ludhiana DC Varinder Kumar said the district was focusing on sampling in urban areas, as 85% of cases had been reported in these areas, especially among the middle class. The stigma associated with testing was high despite the district’s positivity rate being less than 10%, with the city of Ludhiana reporting 5% and industrial units around 1-2% positivity, he said, He added that psychological counseling for those in home isolation was also provided.
Mohali DC Girish Dayalan said that the staff of certain private hospitals were refusing to carry out Covid duty. The Chief Secretary ordered the Department of Medical Education to issue the necessary instructions to initiate actions against said medical professionals. Dayalan also warned of a possible shortage of doctors and nurses in private healthcare facilities as the state prepares for a second wave, stressing the need to prepare accordingly.
On the subject of testing, Mohali DC said that the delay or failure of private labs to upload data was causing great anxiety and that these labs were aimed at ensuring the timely publication of results on online testing portals.
