Rajasthan govt says health officials in state reach remote villages to triumph COVID second wave

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], August 19 : Rajasthan Health department on Thursday said that the state's health officials reached the remotest villages to triumph the COVID second wave.
Rajasthan health officials set on a journey to reach out to the remotest villages to detect and respite the patients at the earliest. In the conquest, the officials reached villages amid shifting dunes in the west, ravines in the East and even island settlements in its southern districts, read a press statement from the Rajasthan Health department.
"The strategy was to prevent hospitalisation situations by early detection and treatment of COVID patients. The door to door survey helped to detect and initiate symptomatic treatment for 1.8 million people and help them cure at home. Those with serious symptoms were timely taken to the nearest health facilities, However, most of them revived at the temporary COVID care facilities developed locally", read the press statement.
The mega campaign involved 2725 doctors, 4454 nurses, 19970 ANM, 51423 Ashas, 7031 MPW along with 65399 village health committee members including school principals, Gramsewaks, Patwaris, constituted in more than 25077 teams. The drive continued for 70 days, covering several areas more than once, said health officials.
Along with the survey, symptomatic treatment kits were also distributed by the health department which had zinc and vitamin supplements. Before the drive began, many people had the fear that being suspected of infection, they might be sent to isolation and therefore people were hesitant to visit health facilities until complications emerged. Ensuring home treatment, the teams were successful in gaining the confidence of the masses and convince them to take treatment at the earliest.
"The strategy helped in saving numerous lives, and the drive also helped control the demand for hospitalisation, it ensured that beds were continuously available in hospitals for needy patients as a large number were treated at home. The state health department simultaneously was also working on the expansion of services and a large number of patients from the national capital region and other neighbouring states too were getting treatment here", the Health Department informed.
However, the service expansion had other infrastructure challenges, such as the availability of Oxygen. Since the most important aspect during the second wave was oxygen, proning training was also given during the door to door campaign.
Thus, prevention once again testified as best medicine and state government's campaign such as No Mask, No Entry and the door to door survey gradually helped to control the situation that once seemed invincible, added the statement.