Health ministry rushes central teams to Punjab, Chandigarh to assist in coronavirus management

The Union health ministry has sent central teams to Punjab and Chandigarh to assist them in strengthening public health measures for containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of coronavirus patients with an aim to reduce the mortality rate.

The two-member teams will comprise of a community medicine expert from PGIMER, Chandigarh and an epidemiologist from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). These teams will be stationed in the state/UT for 10 days to provide extended guidance in managing the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Punjab has a case fatality ratio of 2.9 per cent — almost near the world average of more than 3 per cent — and the national average death ratio of 1 per cent.

Punjab’s Covid-19 tally is 61,527, while it has 15,870 active cases as on Sunday morning. The state has registered 1,808 deaths.

“The testing per million figure for the state is 37,546 [India’s average figure is 34593.1 at present]. With 4.97 per cent, it hovers at the lower spectrum of cumulative positivity,” the ministry said.

The UT of Chandigarh has 2,140 active cases, while its cumulative cases stand at 5,502. Testing per million and cumulative positivity rate stand at 38,054 and 11.99 per cent, respectively.

“The high-level teams will assist the state and the UT in strengthening public health measures for containment, surveillance, testing and efficient clinical management of Covid patients with the aim to reduce mortality and save lives,” the ministry said.

“They shall also guide them in effectively addressing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up,” it said.

The Union health ministry has been engaging with several states and UTs that are witnessing a surge in Covid cases and high mortality in some districts during the past two days.

Those states and UTs have been advised to proactively undertake comprehensive measures to break the chain of transmission of the infectious disease and lower mortality, such that it eventually dips below one per cent, the ministry said.

(With inputs from PTI)