Despite declining cases, Punjab chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday ordered expanding the contact tracing of positive patients to 15 persons. He also made it mandatory for hospitals and radiology labs conducting CT scans to report such patients to the state administration in case of suspicion of Covid. Further, to streamline and prioritise the process of Covid vaccination, he ordered a state-level 3-tier covid vaccine supervision mechanism, comprising a steering committee as well as state and district task force, to be put in place.
Captain Amarinder has directed 24×7 testing facility to be made available at district hospitals. He stressed the need to make arrangements for walk-in testing at multiple points and asked the Health Department to consider branching out testing by scaling up local initiatives like Mohali’s out-door testing.
The CM asked the Health Department to get information from private and public hospitals regarding Covid mortality and complete the audit by November 9 so that remedial action can be taken by mid-November.
Emphasising the importance of ensuring preparedness for a second wave, he also directed the department to meet manpower shortage.
Chairing a virtual meeting of medical and health experts and officials, he warned against any complacency amid projections of a more severe second wave, in keeping with the global trend. He urged organisers of social and religious congregations, that have been permitted, to also encourage the participants to get themselves tested. To ensure that distribution of the vaccine, once available, is prioritised among the vulnerable groups, including health workers and people with co-morbidities, Captain Amarinder ordered the constitution of a State Steering Committee, to be headed by the Chief Secretary, with monthly meetings to supervise the progress. A State Task Force, to be headed by Principal Secretary Health, shall hold meetings every fortnight, while at the district level, the Districts Magistrates will head the District Task Force, which will meet on a weekly basis.
