Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said 95 per cent of all active cases of Covid in the state are kept in home isolation and there is the need to strengthen the mechanism for better treatment of these patients.

After a review meeting on Covid situation in Bilaspur, Thakur said doctors, paramedical staff and other health workers must bring a behavioural change in their attitude while treating Covid patients both in health facilities and in home isolation.

“Most of the doctors and other paramedical staff are working with great commitment and dedication to treat covid-19 patients but still greater commitment is required to ensure better results.

Strengthening the mechanism of home isolation was the need of the hour as about 95 per cent of the active cases of Covid-19 were in home isolation,” he added.

He further stated that effective data about the patients in home isolation must be collected and they should also be provided pulse oxymeter, hand sanitizer along with other essential medicines.

Besides, active involvement of panchayat pradhans in rural areas should be ensured to effectively coordinate with the family members of the covid-19 positive patients in home isolation besides local health and Asha workers.

In addition, effective mechanisms must be evolved to regularly monitor health parameters of the patients in home isolation besides motivating the people, he said.

Thakur urged the members of Vyapar Mandals to give their wholehearted support to the state government to fight the spread of this pandemic.

He said that the district administration must keep watch on people coming back home from religious congregations from other states with intensity of Covid-19 and representatives of the PRIs can play a vital role in identifying such persons.

“The virus is spreading at rapid pace and is more fatal nowadays as the deaths reported in the state during the last about 50 days has gone up from 970 to 1177.

Asha workers must also record the other co-morbidities of the Covid patients in home isolation so that better treatment of these patients could be done,” he added.

He called for starting a special campaign to ensure active participation of PRIs representatives, NGOs, mahila mandals, yuvak mandals etc to strengthen the mechanism of home isolation.

“As compared to other states, Himachal is still better placed due to effective Covid- 19 management but still a lot more is needed to be done to curb this pandemic,” he added.