COVID-19: T.N. health officers told to ensure early detection, reporting of ILI and SARI cases
With cases of COVID-19 being reported in various parts of the country, health officers have been told to step up disease surveillance and implement proactive measures to ensure early detection, reporting, and response to cases of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI).
The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in a communication to district, city, and municipal health officers, said that recent reports indicate a resurgence of COVID-19 cases across various parts of the country, with a noticeable increase in several States, including Tamil Nadu, during May.
District Surveillance Units should ensure consistent daily monitoring and reporting of ILI and SARI cases from all healthcare facilities in their jurisdictions. They should report any unusual clustering of cases, without delay, to the State Surveillance Unit to enable timely public health response. Once clusters are identified, close monitoring should be maintained and necessary follow-up actions must be carried out in coordination with field-level teams and Primary Health Centres.
The directorate has said that all healthcare facilities must verify the availability of essential medical supplies, including antiviral drugs such as Oseltamivir and necessary diagnostic consumables for managing ILI. They should also assess and ensure sufficient bed capacity in fever wards, with contingency plans to accommodate any surge in patient numbers.
Field staff should be mobilised to promote public health messages within communities. This includes promoting hand hygiene, encouraging wearing masks in crowded places to reduce transmission, and maintaining cough etiquette and a safe distance from individuals showing symptoms of respiratory illness. They should urge individuals to seek medical care early in case of symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, or body pain. They should also reinforce the need for seasonal influenza vaccination, particularly among high-risk groups. The staff should advise regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces such as phones, door handles, and light switches.
The officers were told to instruct all health institutions in their administrative control to report all ILI/SARI cases on the Integrated Health Information Platform portal without fail.
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