NITI Aayog praises Telangana’s ‘HITAM’ strategy to contain Covid pandemic

Hyderabad: A report by NITI Aayog on ‘Home-Based Management of Covid-19’, which has documented the best home-based management practices implemented by all the Indian States, has appreciated the Home Isolation and Treatment and Monitoring Protocol (HITAM) that was adopted effectively by Telangana to contain the pandemic. Health Minister, T Harish Rao on Friday evening took […]

Hyderabad: A report by NITI Aayog on ‘Home-Based Management of Covid-19’, which has documented the best home-based management practices implemented by all the Indian States, has appreciated the Home Isolation and Treatment and Monitoring Protocol (HITAM) that was adopted effectively by Telangana to contain the pandemic.

Health Minister, T Harish Rao on Friday evening took to Twitter and highlighted the NITI Aayog report and its appreciation for HITAM strategy. “Covid home isolation treatment and monitoring (HITAM) protocol receives appreciation from Niti Aayog. It’s the latest addition to multiple appreciations received by the youngest state since its formation under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao,” he tweeted.

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#Telangana's Covid Home isolation treatment and monitoring (HITAM) protocol receives appreciation from #NitiAyog. Its the latest addition to multiple appreciations received by the youngest state since its formation under the dynamic leadership of @TelanganaCMO KCR Garu pic.twitter.com/M5AqaeUAhG

— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@trsharish) November 19, 2021

The HITAM strategy of Telangana involved quickly identifying Covid positive patients and assessing those who needed home isolation. Such patients at home isolation were provided with special medicine kits, which was followed by close day-to-day monitoring of the health status of the positive patient through a network of trained tele-callers.

The home isolation patients in Telangana received a kit comprising of Paracetamol, Cetirizine, Doxycycline, Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C and Ranitidine (symptomatic and supportive treatment) along with other relevant IEC material was given to patients under home isolation.

In case of clinical deterioration like continuous fever, breathlessness etc, patients were immediately shifted to Covid-19 designated hospitals. The tele-callers were trained to identify such cases to be escalated for expert opinion and hospitalization. They were made aware of emergency ambulances and Covid-19 hospitals, for quick transportation and admission. The HITAM mobile application was developed during the first wave that enabled it to capture patient demographics, symptoms, medications, and daily progress.

Since all the testing and treatment facilities were overwhelmed by heavy patient-load, all the government hospitals in Telangana were converted into Covid-19 clinics for evaluation. Home isolation and treatment through telemedicine helped deal with the surge in cases, especially in hospitals, during both the waves, the NITI Aayog report said.

The strategy of home isolation with treatment kits, integration of house-to-house fever surveys, establishing Covid clinics to monitor and identify cases and initiate treatment without waiting for test results proved to be an effective strategy to prevent overburdening of hospitals and reduce Covid-19 mortality in Telangana, the NITI Aayog report said.

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