Maharashtra today hit a six-month high in the daily reportage of fresh Covid-19 cases at 35,952 and 111 deaths. The state has consistently remained the worst-hit of all by the pandemic. Amid this resurgence in infection over the past few weeks, the government has issued a fresh set of guidelines to tackle the situation. These measures include both precautionary ones and those meant to reinforce the medical infrastructure.
The fresh guidelines, issued on March 23 by Maharashtra Principal Health Secretary, Dr Pradeep Vyas, has been addressed to all District Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, and Divisional Commissioners.
Among other instructions, these have asked the authorities to ensure that all oxygen tanks and cylinders remain full and that 'home isolation patients' are monitored more closely by teams of officers. Bed allocation in Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHC) and Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCH) has to be based on clinical the condition of the patient and nothing else.
Recovered patients, who are asymptomatic, with no fever or cough for the past three days, and maintaining over 95 per cent oxygen saturation at room air must be shifted to Covid Care Centres (CCCs).
The CCCs have been asked to hold the Six-Minutes-Walk Test in the morning and evening universally along with the four-hourly measurement of temperature and oxygen saturation so that deterioration, if any, in the condition of the patient is picked up early.
Up to 5 per cent of CCC beds should have oxygen availability and these beds are not to be counted towards regular oxygen beds.
Officers and staff involved in vaccination are to be kept separate from teams deputed for surveillance and containment operation, so that the campaign remains uninterrupted.
He also wants officials to ensure that private hospitals do not block the Covid vaccination doses.
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