[ Prafulla Kaman ]
PASIGHAT, Jun 3: The health department in East Siang district has taken a special step to protect the vulnerable group, including elderly people from Covid-19.
The department has compiled separate lists of people with pre-existing health conditions who are more susceptible to Covid-19, informed District Surveillance Officer Dr Tarik Talom.
It has listed out a total of 1990 people with pre-existing medical condition. Of them, 596 are diabetic, 775 hypertensive, 88 with both diabetes and hypertension, 132 with cardiovascular disease, 212 with history of cardiac problems, 129 with COPD and 58 chronic kidney problems.
The lists were prepared based on OPD registers in different PHCs, CHCs and health sub centres of the district.
Dr Talom informed that the district health department is also conducting survey of the ailing persons under non-communicable diseases control programme.
The department is doing the effort as part of “containment plan” against Covid-19.
“We are preparing the list of the ailing people, who are considered to be at high risk. The group will be accorded top priority in case of medical support to minimize mortality and morbidity,” said Dr Talom.
“We are all set to conduct survey to identify old-aged and unreported ailing people in rural areas,” he added.
Dr Talom has supported the local villagers for building quarantine huts and suggested them to take up the issue with local administration for the necessary facilities.
DMO Dr Kaling Dai said they are following earlier guideline as the state government is yet to frame new guideline for containment of Covid-19.
According to district administration sources, more than 1,500 stranded people have returned to the district after the authorities allowed home coming. Most of them were put under institutional quarantine.
The district administration has set up 14 quarantine centres-nine in Pasighat, three in Ruksin and two in Mebo subdivisions. A total 669 persons were given accommodation in the centres for Covid-19 test. Out of them, about 458 were released phase-wise after testing negative and completion of the quarantine period till Tuesday evening.
East Siang currently remains a Covid-19 free district.
