• DC holds review meeting
• Five teams to visit each Taluk
• RAT test on symptomatic patients

Mysore/Mysuru: A mammoth Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) drive will be launched across the District from tomorrow to screen symptomatic patients at their place and shift them to Hospital or Covid Care Centre depending upon the seriousness of their health condition.

This is as part of ‘Vaidyara Nade, Halliya Kade’, a programme coined by the District Administration for early detection and treatment of Covid infected persons. Such a programme was necessary in the wake of surge in Corona positive cases in rural areas.

Sharing details with Star of Mysore this morning, ZP Chief Executive Officer A.M. Yogesh, who is also the Convener of Covid Task Force, said five teams will visit every Taluk from tomorrow and head straight to a particular village or hobli which has more number of symptomatic patients with fever, cough or cold. 

The District Administration has a list of symptomatic patients who were detected during the ongoing house-to-house health survey in rural areas. Accordingly, each taluk has around 2,000 such patients. 

Each team consists of final year MBBS student, ASHA and Anganwadi workers and a cop. After reaching the village, a camp will be held where all those symptomatic patients will undergo RAT as the test result will be known immediately. 

Depending upon the condition of patients, doctors will decide whether they should be admitted to designated Covid Hospital or CCC. Health Officers will take necessary steps to shift such patients. He said five teams each will be sent to Mysuru Taluk, Nanjangud Taluk, Hunsur Taluk, K.R. Nagar Taluk, Periyapatna Taluk, H.D. Kote Taluk and T. Narasipur Taluk. Elaborate arrangements have been made by all Departments concerned to make this drive a big success in a bid to check the spread of Coronavirus, especially in rural areas. “We are optimistic to arrest the further spreading of virus at the earliest,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri held a meeting here yesterday to review the preparedness before launching of this ambitious programme in the district. 

The DC instructed officials to invite Legislators of the respective Assembly Constituencies for the launch of this programme. Besides, Zilla Panchayat members, Taluk Panchayat Presidents and Gram Panchayat Presidents must also be invited for the function, she added.