Pune: Since the beginning of the pandemic, people in the age group of 60 and above have been considered more sensitive to the infection. Experts have been stressing on the susceptibility of people with co-morbidities – having one or more disorders – being higher to scum to the coronavirus infection.
Considering the high rate of deaths due to the co-morbidity factor, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has now decided to track people with co-morbidities, falling under the high-risk group to arrest the increasing death toll. It has also been realised that of all the lives claimed by COVID-19, over 89 per cent have been because of pre-existing health problems – co-morbidity.
According to reports, as per the new PMC strategy, the authorities are planning to gather information about people suffering from non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, asthma and many more. Citizens with heart-related conditions, pregnancy and senior citizen are also to be considered for this data. PMC will also include people with communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and also acquired immunodeficiency deficiency in their survey.
Indian Medical Association (IMA), along with other private doctors' association, will assist PMC in identifying and testing these high-risk group people.
The authorities at PMC are set to collect data of people falling under these categories who will be further tested for COVI-19 and will be treated accordingly.
On Monday, Divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisker issued an order for the local bodies to trace people with co-morbid conditions. He stressed that not even a single person with co-morbidity should go untraced. The order read, "People from containment zones should get priority during screening. Tests to track temperature, blood sugar pulse oximeter and oxygen saturation will be done. In case the reports throw up concerns, citizens will be provided immediate treatment. If anyone is found to have COVID019 symptoms, s/he should be screened for the virus and treated on those lines."
Talking to a Pune Mirror about this decision by the corporation, additional commissioner of PMC, Rubal Agarwal said, "We have discussed the plan with zonal and ward medical officers. The move will help us keep a tab on citizens suffering from co-morbidities and bring down death count."
