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Express News Service
KOCHI: Phones are always buzzing at the newly-set up Covid war room in the Kochi Metro building near Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium at Kaloor. More than 50 people, including officials from district administration, doctors, and young volunteers, are monitoring and updating data on the availability of beds and oxygen supply in both government and private hospitals. The war room works round the clock and its members work in two shifts.
Eldhose, a post-graduate in social work, has been monitoring and handling patient data from hospitals in the district for the past six months. As we speak, his phone rings. A health official from a private hospital is calling up to update the admission of a new Covid patient.
People in isolation advised to keep emergency contact numbers at hand
On what is to be done when COVID symptoms worsen or oxygen saturation levels fall, health officials said people in isolation at home are to keep at hand the contact numbers of the junior public health nurse (JPHN), ASHA worker, Junior Health Inspector, nurse or medical officer at the local primary health centre. They are to be informed of the patient’s condition. If unable to contact local health staff, the district control room can be contacted on 0484-2368702/2368802/2368902.
If shifting is necessary, local health staff will ensure the closest available ambulance, or a vehicle arranged by the local body will be dispatched to transport the patient to the nearest ‘stabilisation centre’.
‘Most of the other State governments have given incentives for health workers’
Field-level staff in the Health Department have complained of a raw deal in the proposals for salary hike for government staff recently submitted to the State government by the 11th Pay Commission.
Some of the functionaries of the department staff unions claimed that the qualification for Junior Health Inspector (JHI) and Junior Public Health Nurse (JPHN) had been a two-year diploma and a pass in Plus Two (Science). They pointed out that the staff with similar qualification and similar pay scale had been given more salary in the pay panel proposals.
Stress on use of biodegradable materials
The green booths set up in different parts of the district on account of the local body polls were crowd pullers in many places. With the total green look provided by the banners and decorations made of coconut leaves and other eco-friendly materials, they evoked the curiosity of the voters. Many were seen approaching the booths with a look of “What is this all about” and were impressed by the explanation given by the volunteers.
“This is exactly what we wanted. To evoke the curiosity and thus create an awareness against the use of non-biodegradable materials,” Shailesh E.P., Junior Health Inspector of Kozhikode Corporation, explained.