Trichy: As Covid cases rise, demand for fever clinics up

TRICHY: Owing to widespread awareness insisting people with Covid-19 symptoms to get themselves tested, residents have suggested the corporation to set up fever clinics in the city to track, diagnose and follow-up such cases.

As of June 13, out of the 41 active cases in the district, 22 are in Trichy Corporation. Having three containment zones, the residents who are even residing a finger away from containment zones get anxious on developing fever or other Covid-19 symptoms.

"A day after the containment zone was established near our house, I developed a slight fever. After hesitation, I approached our family doctor. The fever turned out to be a normal one," a 32-year-old resident of Big Bazaar Street said. As per the Covid-19 plan management of Greater Chennai Corporation, setting up fever clinics was identified as one of the community activities to overcome the pandemic.

Makeshift fever clinics will serve as early intervention centre to control the spread of the infection. "By ensuring proper precautionary arrangements such as thermal scanners, fever clinics can initiate outpatient service to monitor fever cases," said Dr M A Aleem, Trichy-based neurologist.

Though there are 18 Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) in the city, residents who developed fever in recent weeks expressed reservation in visiting them.

As the city witnessed a two-fold surge in Covid-19 cases in the last 15 days, establishing fever clinics in closely-packed localities was cited as an ideal move to alleviate public fear and to track fever cases.

Trichy Corporation had such decentralised checkup points during the dengue outbreak. "As we are doing a door-to-door survey in vulnerable packets with our field workers, we have no immediate plans to establish fever clinics. Our health workers are tracking the fever cases," a senior official with Trichy Corporation said.