The letter gives six recommendations to the state government to better manage the increase in infections.
The Indian Medical Association has written to the Kerala government to declare a “health emergency” in the state due to an alarming increase in COVID-19 infections. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that Kerala would see 15,000 cases a day by mid-October and warned strict actions against violators of security protocol.
“The government must ensure that the public strictly follow safety measures such as washing hands, using disinfectant, wearing masks and practicing physical distancing, as this is key to avoiding transmission by contact,” the letter reads.
“Declaring a health emergency would help the public understand the seriousness of the situation and ensure that they exercise more caution. It would also help implement stricter restrictions to curb contact transmission and initiate preparatory measures to expand the infrastructure to handle more cases, ”says Dr. P Gopikumar, Secretary of IMA Thiruvananthapuram.
The letter also gives 6 tips to curb the spread of the community in Kerala.
More tests
The first recommendation is to test more people. The letter recommends testing one lakh per day.
“Currently, we are getting between 5,000 and 6,000 positive cases by testing 50,000 people. This is high. If we take it to a lakh, we could get 10,000-15,000 boxes. Not increasing testing means that there are thousands of people who have COVID-19 but could be spreading an infection in the community because they don’t know it. The best way forward is to identify, test, and isolate more, ”added Dr. Gopikumar.
Strict COVID-19 rules
IMA asks the state to ban all public and social gatherings and only allow people to leave their homes to work and buy essential goods.
“People should be asked to avoid meeting friends and family, as most cases of contact occur this way. Family gatherings and groups of friends become the most common routes for people to become infected, ”added Dr. Gopikumar.
Also in public transport a strict physical distancing must be implemented. Infections have also been observed to be increasing among older people and children under 10 years of age. To control this, vulnerable people need to stay indoors as much as possible, IMA said. She also asked the government to follow the guidelines for the opening of shopping malls, markets, etc., that the association had issued.
“Interactions and social gatherings must be monitored by the state. In addition, local self-government authorities must issue an information control license for shops and workplaces, ”the letter says.
For those patients in home isolation, the state must guarantee daily monitoring by the health department.
Data to be made public
Data on the number of free beds, Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and ventilators in public and private hospitals treating coronavirus patients should be made available to the public.
The state should also form a coordinating committee for COVID-19 by bringing in medical experts and members of professional associations such as the IMA.
“Despite the increase in cases, our death rate remains low. But if hospitals overcrow due to the increase in cases, the death toll will increase as people will not be able to access ventilators. So Therefore, implementing strict restrictions is crucial to control the spread, “Dr. Gopikumar added.
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