Covid containment: Telangana to develop new app to trace contacts

As part of strengthening the 'tracing-testing-treating' concept, a new app, that alerts all contacts of a person who tests positive for Covid-19 at a PHC has been introduced

Hyderabad: In view of the recent spurt in Covid-19 cases, the State government has come up with a series of measures that include a new app, reviving designated wards in all district hospitals and also isolation centres.

As part of strengthening the ‘tracing-testing-treating’ concept, a new app, that alerts all contacts of a person who tests positive for Covid-19 at a PHC has been introduced. The app will send an SMS to all of the person’s contacts, alerting them to get tested for the novel coronavirus. With this, immediate tracing can be enabled, thereby curbing the spread of the virus.

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Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, who is regularly reviewing the situation, had directed all the officials in the Health Department, Panchayat Raj Department, municipalities, police etc to proactively take part in handling the Covid pandemic and asked all government officials to be alert. Health Minister Eatala Rajender appealed to the public to not neglect any signs and symptoms and urged them to get tested at the earliest sign.

Equipping hospitals

All hospitals that provided Covid treatment earlier will be again redesignated and Covid wards in all district hospitals in the 33 districts would provide treatment there itself. Doctors, nurses, patient care workers, sanitation arrangements, medicines, are made available round-the-clock in these hospitals.

These hospitals have also been provided with oxygen facilities and 22 of them have been equipped with permanent liquid oxygen tanks to ensure there was no shortage of it, the Health Minister said. PHCs have also been equipped with oxygen cylinders.

Isolation Centres

It was also decided to revive isolation centres in all the district headquarters as before. “Those who have been tested positive but can’t stay isolated at their homes can make use of these isolation centres and we are making arrangements for the same,” he said.

These isolation centres will have round-the-clock medical staff and medical facilities to monitor patients. Meals and other necessities will be provided to the patients at these centres. In the city, Nature Cure Hospital, Ayurveda Hospital, Nizamia Tibbi Hospital, Fever Hospital, Chest Hospital will be turned into fully-fledged Covid treatment and quarantine centres, Rajender said while instructing the officials to make required arrangements within a week.

Call Centre

To advise those who are under home isolation on how to handle the disease and to keep track of their health, a call centre has been functioning at SR Nagar.

108 Vehicles

Special 108 vehicles have been allotted to transport Covid patients and Greater Hyderabad has been provided with 32 special vehicles and citizens can call 108 to avail the facility to reach the nearest hospital.

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