Minister Eshwarappa tells District officials

Mysore/Mysuru: Expressing shock at 1,335 persons being under home isolation in rural areas in Mysuru District, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa directed officials concerned to shift them to nearest Covid Care Centres (CCCs) or Taluk General Hospitals immediately. 

“Use Police force, if necessary, in case those patients disagree to go to the Government facilities,” he said at a review meeting of RDPR at Zilla Panchayat auditorium here this morning.

The Minister was shell-shocked when District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. K.H. Prasad informed that though the Corona situation was coming under control in Mysuru District, still 1,335 persons were under home isolation in rural areas. 

Eshwarappa said it was too high and alarming as those patients could transmit the virus to others at home. They must be convinced to go to nearby CCCs or Taluk Hospitals. In case they refuse to be shifted, take the help of Police and shift them to CCCs. All of them must spend 14 days in isolation and must not be sent back home at any cost, he added.

He said while the Corona positive cases were coming down in urban areas, it was still high  in rural areas. To tackle this pandemic in villages, the State Government has banned home isolation in rural areas due to lack of facilities at home. There would be surge in positive cases in rural areas in case they allowed large number of people to undergo home isolation, he said. 

Asked about the vaccination coverage, the DHO informed the meeting that the District so far has received 50 lakh doses. In regard to vaccinating College students, 40,000 have been administered vaccine so far of the total one lakh students. Rest will be vaccinated at the earliest. 

The Health Department was fully geared up to take on the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic which according to medical experts will affect children in the age group of 12 to 20 years.