RT-PCR test crosses 6,000 in district; Fresh stock of 75,000 vaccine doses expected by Monday

Mysore/Mysuru: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rohini Sindhuri has instructed the District Health Department Officers to keep all Sub-Health Centres ready in district in view of vaccinating persons above 45 years of age from April 1. This, according to sources, is being done to avoid rush of beneficiaries to take the jab from next week, and to improve the coverage following spike in Corona positive cases in the last 15 days. 

However, Health Department Officers are not in favour of having vaccination booths in Sub-Health Centres as there will be only one Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and it may not be possible to handle any post-vaccination complication cases. Besides, medical experts have recommended setting up of vaccination booths only in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) or Urban PHCs and not in Sub-Health Centres. 

Unlike other vaccinations, a minimum of five personnel are required especially for COVID-19 vaccination and three spacious rooms. Most of the Sub-Health Centres are in shambles without use for many years.

Stocks for two days

Meanwhile, an Officer of Health Department told SOM that the District received 25,000 doses of Covishield two days ago and it may last hardly a day or two. Each PHC has been given 100 doses and many have finished it within a day. District and Taluk Hospitals are allotted 200-300 doses each.  

“Fresh stock of 75,000 doses of Covishield vaccine is expected by Monday and it may be sufficient for a week as district has been given a daily target of 20,000 vaccinations. The roll out of Covaxin vaccine has been very slow when compared with Covishield,” he noted.

Target surpassed

The district has surpassed 5,000 RT-PCR daily testing target with 6,000 tests conducted daily in district. There has been demand from Schools and Colleges to conduct test for students due to scare of COVID-19 second wave. Date and time for each School and College has been given from next week and the mobile testing healthcare team will be deployed to do it. 

Instructions have come from the State Education Department to check whether the School children were wearing the face masks or not. During the surprise checking, it was found that most of the students were keeping the mask in their pockets. 

The Senior Education Department Officers were on the district tour to check the implementation of safety protocols in the educational institutions. 

The DC has banned public celebrations of any festival and has issued directions to the authorities of Mysuru City Corporation to implement the Government guidelines strictly. The Police Department and MCC officers have been asked to book cases against citizens for not wearing masks. 

Besides, all Taluk Health Officers have been directed to keep the Covid Care Centres ready in their respective taluks to use it in emergency.

What is Sub-Health Centre?

Each PHC has five or six Sub-Centres staffed by health workers for outreach services such as immunisation, basic curative services, maternal and child health services and preventive services. A Sub-Centre is the most peripheral and first point of contact between the primary healthcare system and the community and it provides interface with the community at the grass-root level, providing all  primary healthcare services.