Chandigarh, September 22
Scaling up the state’s fight against Covid, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder on Tuesday launched the Corona Fateh Kits, which the state government will start distributing immediately to all Covid patients in isolation, whether at home or in hospitals.
While 5000 of the 50000 kits ordered by the state government have already been received, the remaining supplies are expected within one week.
The Chief Minister, while launching the kit during a virtual Covid review meeting, directed the DCs to ensure that the deliveries are prioritised and all the 18000 active patients in isolation receive the kits within the next one week.
The kit consists of 18 items, including Pulse Oxymeter, Digital Thermometer, essential medicines and Kaadha, among others, along with educational material and instructions on use of medicines. Instructions for patients and care givers are provided in the kit, which also contains a self-monitoring log chart.
The kit is aimed at ensuring regular self-monitoring of health indicators of all Covid patients in isolation to enable early identification of critical parameters for saving lives. Health Minister Balbir Sidhu said the kits carry adequate information on their use and on proper monitoring of health.
Dr KK Talwar, chairman of the state’s expert committee on Covid, said patients in home isolation over 60 years of age were a matter of concern and should be encourage to come for hospitalisation if they cannot get suitable home care and supervision.
Health Secretary Hussan Lal informed the meeting that tenders had been invited by the department for hiring a tele-consulting agency to monitor home quarantine patients in a more streamlined and thorough manner. The last day for submitting bids is September 23 and the professional agency, which will take over the home quarantine patient monitoring and follow-ups from 104, will be in place by the end of this month.