The Health Department is making it’s best efforts to provide non COVID
essential services like maternal, new born and child care, services related to
dialysis, tuberculosis, HIV, maintenance of voluntary blood donation.
In this regard the Government Spokesperson informed that directions have been sent to all the Chief Medical Officers and Medical Superintendents of all the hospitals not to delay the provision of essential health services to any patient for want of ‘COVID negative test result’.
All the health care providers should
follow precautions, observe infection control procedures and get themselves
vaccinated against COVID 19. He further added that any case of denial of
services to the patients reaching the hospital would invite serious action.
Spokesperson further informed that to ensure good quality maternal
health services in the field a guidance note for the management of pregnant
women have been circulated. As per the guidance note all pregnant women
should have accessibility to four antenatal checkups during pregnancy.
These visits should be planned by the maternal care provider like ASHA,
ANM in the field, who shall share their contact details with the pregnant
women. In case of any danger sign the pregnant women should be brought
to the nearest health facility. The pregnant women should be discouraged to make un-necessary contacts with community and should be encouraged to
follow COVID Appropriate behavior whenever she comes for antenatal
checkup. The pregnant women should be checked on priority in the healthfacility and should be segregated from the routine patients. MO/IC PHC or
CHO should arrange for tele-consultation with the obstetrician.
In case of development of COVID symptoms, the sample of the pregnant women shall be taken from home or under observation in an institution after due assessment of her health condition. If the pregnant lady has symptoms
suggestive of flu and the testing for COVID-19 is negative, the routine
ultrasound and antenatal visits should be deferred for 14 days after
resolution of acute illness.
The field staff has been directed to line list all the women who are expected to deliver in the next three months.The
spokesperson informed that in case a pregnant women tests COVID positive
it shall be preferred to have her delivery conducted in a dedicated COVID
facility. Directions have already been sent to establish a triage area at the
delivery points where women in labour would be screened for the following
history/symptoms in the last 14 days :-
1. History of exposure to COVID 19 cases
2. Symptoms of flu like illness like cough, fever, difficulty in breathing etc
3. History of conditions like Heart disease, Diabetes, HIV etc.
In case the pregnant women does not have above mentioned conditions she
shall be taken to the delivery point. In case she is having positive history on
screening she has to be referred to the nearest FRU or LAQSHYA facility in
an ambulance, after telephonically informing the facility about the arrival of
the patient. All such facilities have been directed to identify and equip a
separate isolation room for labour, delivery and recovery. The Dedicated
COVID hospital should also have separate facility for sususpect and confirmed
cases of COVID 19 including labour deliveryroom.
The spokesperson said that all efforts are being made to ensure timely obstetric management of COVID 19 pregnant women in the State.
Prioritized Age groups earlier vaccinated at private centres to get second dose free of cost in Government vaccination centres.
The Health Department has also issued directions for administering
second dose of COVID 19 Vaccine free of cost at Government CVC to the
prioritize group beneficiaries who had received their 1st dose in the private
CVC on payment basis on or before 30th of April 2021. The prioritized group
includes Health care workers, Frontline workers and persons aged more
than 45 years.
Positivity in Himachal Pradesh 26.3 % in the last week
The Government Spokesperson informed that the positivity rate during
the last week from 03.05.2021 to 09.05.2021 has come out to be 26.3% in
whole of the State. This is compare to 20.04% which was recorded in the
week between 26th April and 2nd May, 2021. The districts of Bilaspur,
Hamirpur, Kangra, mandi, Shimla, Sirmour and Solan have recorded a
positivity rate of more than 20% in the last week.
The Government spokesperson informed that the weekly testing conducted in the last week has crossed one lakh tests and the exact number of test conducted in last week 102455.
During the week preceding the last week, the number of tests conducted were 84351, indicating that the State has drastically ramped up the testing. If the case fatality rate is to be compared between last two weeks,the case fatality has decreased from 1.38% to 1.17% in the last week.
Government Spokesperson also informed that the State level COVID Clinical
Committee is conducting virtual capacity building session for all the
stakeholders. A training session for judicious and appropriate use of
remdesivir and oxygen was organized on 08.05.2021 and on 09.05.2021,
training was organized for management of patients in Home Isolation. On
10.05.2021 the officials of SIHFW organized a webinar on management of
pediatrics and epidemiology diagnosis and infection prevention practices. It
was also informed that a panel discussion of experts was held on the
treatment to be started and precautions to be taken during home isolation for
the information of general public and the same can be viewed at
https://youtu.be/iJa1cqJUIhs .
