55 fever clinics opened in Indore, preps on to start RT-PCR testing

INDORE: Health authorities started 55 fever clinics in Indore to keep a track on patients suffering with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Influenza like Illness (ILI) amidst concern about a new Covid-19 variant.

The authorities also identified five facilities in urban areas to collect samples for RT-PCR testing of Covid-19 suspects. Chief Municipal and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr BS Saitya issued three orders in this regard.

In the first order, he ordered all Block medical officers in rural areas to start RT-PCR sampling at Community Health Centres and Civil Hospital, Mhow for surveillance on pandemic virus.

All zonal officers, BMO, and civil hospital in-charge are directed to start fever clinics, wherein records of all patients with SARI and ILI must be maintained separately in a register.

“The focus on SARI, ILI surveillance increased after an alert from the union and state government. An order was issued on December 21 for keeping tabs on such cases. Now, new directions are issued for setting up fever clinics and sample collection centres”, IDSP and Covid-19 nodal, Indore, Dr Amit Malakar said.

In the district, the authorities identified district hospital, PC Sethi hospital, Hukumchand polyclinic, Malharganj hospital and Mangilal Churia hospital as facilities for collecting samples for Covid-19 suspects.
District epidemiologist Dr Anshul Mishra said, “We are keeping a tab on ILI, SARI, and cough cases consistently throughout the year with our IDSP-IHIP portal. There is no substantial rise in the last couple of weeks amidst the alert about Covid-19. We are, however, vigilant about it.”

The district has recorded cumulatively 626 cases of ILI, SARI, and cough in 11 days from December 13 to Saturday that is equal to such cases recorded in 14 days from November 29 to December 12, showed records.

The authorities also analysed the Covid-19 sampling records from December 1 to find that only two cases of pandemic virus infection were found among 607 tested samples, showed records.