Assam Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua reviews COVID management, flood preparedness in Sonitpur

OUR CORRESPONDENT

TEZPUR: Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Jishnu Barua on Saturday took stock of the COVID-19 management along with flood preparedness of Sonitpur district administration in a review meeting held at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner's office in Tezpur.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Bhupesh Chandra Das, CEO, Zilla Parishad Diganta Baishya, Superintendent of Police Dr Dhananjay Ghanawat, Joint Director, Health Services, Dr J Ahmed, ADCs, all Circle Officers, heads of various departments concerned and other senior officials of the district administration.

At the very outset, the Chief Secretary took stock of the number of daily tests being carried out in the district, tracking of contacts and treatment protocol being followed in the district and directed that at least 15 per cent of daily patients coming for RAT should be covered by RTPCR testing as well. He asked the administration to gear up for a probable third wave of COVID-19 and urged them to continue rigorous testing, tracking and treatment along with providing vaccination as the only way to beat COVID-19.

The Chief Secretary directed the health department to saturate all health workers and other frontline workers with COVID-19 vaccination and lauded the efforts of the Sonitpur district administration on achieving 90 per cent coverage of all Anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA/ ANM workers and frontline workers such as police personnel in the district. He directed the health department to ensure universal coverage of these HCWs and FLWs along with caregivers in all child care centres/ adoption centres in a planned manner so that no one was left out.

Sonitpur district administration had been carrying out special vaccination drives/ camps for Angawadi workers and helpers, Persons with Disabilities, senior citizens with mobility issues via mobile vaccination van, and had also carried out vaccination drives at Central Jail, Tezpur, and LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health.

The Chief Secretary also took stock of the facilities available at various hospitals for treatment of COVID patients and a general overview of the preparedness by the district administration to manage COVID patients. He also directed the health department to make judicious use of the available manpower and other resources so that best treatment could be made available to COVID patients all across the district. He stressed the need to widely publicize the COVID helpline numbers in use for patients in home isolation so that they can consult a doctor in case of any need.

Reviewing the flood preparedness in the district, the Chief Secretary directed the administration to set up model relief camps as per the latest SOP issued by the ASDMA, set up child-friendly spaces in all relief camps and ensure COVID appropriate behavior such as hand washing, wearing of masks, sanitization, mandatory screening for COVID symptoms by putting in place an effective relief camp management strategy. He, moreover, asked the administration to provide GR/RG as per SDRF norms and ensure all flood-affected people receive the relief material they were entitled to receive. He also called for an effective post-flood management by ensuring close coordination between various line departments.

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