Provision of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits should be made at all public health facilities including Sub-centres or Health and Wellness Centres and Primary Health Centres, the Union Health Ministry said
Centre s New SOPs To Battle Covid In Villages Amid Surge Centre s New SOPs To Battle Covid In Villages Amid Surge The new SOPs outline the Covid containment and clinical management practices for rural and semi-urban areas.
Primary healthcare facilities play a key role in delivering services to the rural population.
New Delhi:
Village-level surveillance, tele-consultation with community health officers, and training in rapid antigen testing are among the several areas of focus in the Centre s new SOPs to battle COVID-19 as the pandemic gradually moves to the semi-urban and rural areas of the country.
It is important, the SOPs suggest, to ensure that community-based services and primary health infrastructure in these areas are equipped to manage infections.
Covid-19: Centre issues new guidelines for rural areas, advises village-level surveillance
The health ministry took note that the infection was spreading gradually in rural areas. 2 hours ago An ASHA worker places a sign with preventive guidelines against the Covid-19 on the door of a migrant worker. | Xavier Galiana / AFP
The Centre on Sunday issued new coronavirus-related guidelines for peri-urban, rural and tribal areas, taking note of the “gradual ingress” of the infection in these regions.
The health ministry said that every village should undertake active surveillance of influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory infection periodically by Accredited Social Health Activist, or ASHA workers. Community health officers and auxiliary nurses at public health centres should be trained to perform Rapid Antigen Testing for Covid-19 infection, the ministry said.
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Govt issues guidelines on COVID management in rural, peri-urban areas
As rural areas see a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Centre on Sunday issued new guidelines for containment of the virus advising that peri-urban and rural areas plan a minimum 30-bedded COVID Care Centre for asymptomatic cases with comorbidities or mild cases where home isolation is not feasible. Provision of Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits should be made at all public health facilities including Sub-centres or Health and Wellness Centres and Primary Health Centres, the Union Health Ministry said.
Noting that besides urban areas reporting a large number of cases, a gradual ingress is now being seen in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas as well, the ministry released the SOP on COVID-19 Containment and Management in Peri-urban, Rural & Tribal areas  to enable communities to strengthen primary level healthcare infrastructure at all levels to intensify COVID-19 response.