Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday directed health officials to ensure regular medical check-ups of Covid patients who have opted for home isolation. While presiding over the video conferencing with Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Chief Medical Officers, Principals of Medical Colleges and Senior Medical Superintendents from Shimla, Jai Ram Thakur said it has been felt that they rush to hospitals only after their condition worsens. He said that special thrust must be laid on Education, Information and Communication (IEC) so that the person with any kind of symptoms immediately visits the hospital for Covid-19 tests. He said that focus must be laid on making the ‘Mask Up Campaign’ of the Government of India a success. He said that doctors must ensure proper communication with the Covid patients as it goes a long way in recovery of the patients. He said that this would ensure timely treatment of patients, as it has been found that about 90 per cent of deaths reported due to Covid took place within 24 hours of patients being admitted in health institutions. The Chief Minister said that senior doctors must visit the Covid patients admitted in the hospitals so that patients get a sense of security. He urged the doctors to adopt humane approaches in the treatment of patients. He said the aged people and patients with co-morbidity must be paid special attention as their condition could deteriorate rapidly. He also felt the need for evolving effective mechanisms for medical check-up of Covid patients under home isolation. Thakur said that keeping in view the festive season, the people must be persuaded to maintain social distancing, use face masks and hand sanitizers as prevention was the only cure of this virus. He said that people must also be persuaded to avoid unnecessary gathering in social functions. He said that for this help of NGOs and local opinion leaders could also be taken. The Chief Minister said that since the winter season is nearing, the people must be motivated to take more preventive measures. He said that the patients in Covid Care Centers must be provided with hot water and warm meals. He said that these centres should procure food warmers. He said that proper arrangements must also be made for heaters and mode of entertainment such as music and Television etc. Thakur said that greater stress must also be laid on increasing the testing facilities in the State. He said that the HLL has been urged to provide adequate machinery in the makeshift hospitals, besides providing staff on an outsource basis. He said that this would lessen the burden on the existing Covid Hospitals and Covid Care Centres. Health Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal felt the need for ensuring that the pandemic does not spread due to overcrowding in social functions. Chief Secretary, Anil Khachi said that the state must now aim at zero fatality and for this, all possible steps must be taken. He said that home isolation protocol must be strictly reinforced. Director General of Police Sanjay Kundu said the police were taking all possible steps to persuade the people to maintain social distancing in public places. Secretary Health Amitabh Awasthi said the department was ensuring to achieve the target of about four thousand tests per day. He said that people need to be more cautious as the second spikes of the virus may take place during the winter season. Project Director National Health Mission Dr Nipun Jindal made a presentation on ‘Guidelines for creation of health care workers database for Covid-19 vaccination’. Additional Chief Secretary Home Manoj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Revenue R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister J.C. Sharma and other officers attended the meeting.

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