By early April, as India witnessed a sudden surge in the number of new COVID-19 infections in the rural population

By early April, as India witnessed a sudden surge in the number of new COVID-19 infections in the rural population, it was apparent that Haryana also did not remained untouched.

More than 1.25 crore people screened in just 12 days
It was on May 6, when 8000 Multidisciplinary teams were constituted
HVGHCS proving as a game-changer in the government’s fight against COVID in rural areas
Work of door to door health check-up likely to finish in next two days
Positivity rate has dropped to 3.47 per cent
Chandigarh, May 27: By early April, as India witnessed a sudden surge in the number of new COVID-19 infections in the rural population, it was apparent that Haryana also did not remained untouched. However Haryana Government as guided by Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal along with strengthening the healthcare system, straightaway shifted their focus towards combating the virus spread in rural areas that was posing a great threat to the ability of health services.
It was on May 6, 2021, when the Chief Minister while presiding over a high-level meeting had directed the officers concerned to constitute 8000 multidisciplinary teams for conducting door to door health check-up in rural areas. Admirably in just a short span of 12 days, these teams while working on Mission Mode, since May 15, 2021, have successfully conducted the health check-up of around 1.25 crore people residing in 25,49,464 houses in rural areas across the State. Not only this, during door-to-door check-up as many as 91,439 patients having flu-like symptoms were identified and got timely treatment.
Since the very start, planning for increasing ICU capacity, bed arrangement at the hospital, PHC and CHC levels, ensuring uninterrupted oxygen supply became a first-order concern for the State Government and every wing of the government while working ‘beyond the call of duty’ chalked out plans to meet the predictable demand associated with the Pandemic especially in Rural areas.
Not only this, from conducting whirlwind tours to taking the stock of COVID-19 situation at grass root levels, to deputing top administrative machinery, the vigilant and proactive measures taken by the Chief Minister earned praises even from the Central Government.
More than One lakh Tested
Increasing the per day testing capacity is certainly one of the key strategies adopted by the Haryana Government not only helped them in breaking the virus chain but also played a significant role in the early identification of positive patients, thereby lessening the risk of community transmission. As per the data available, samples of 1,07,852 (90,474 rapid antigen tests and 17,378 RT-PCR tests) were taken in Haryana under the Haryana Village General Health Check-up Scheme(HVGHCS), in which 3781 patients were found positive. In Haryana, the strategy of Test-Track-Treatment certainly proved to be very effectual as the positivity rate has come down to 3.47 per cent.
Medical check-ups in rural areas done on Mission Mode
Significantly, when in the month of May, when India saw a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases, it was apparent Haryana also did not remain untouched. However the State Government adopted proactive strategies coupled with aggressive surveillance, stringent containment, focused clinical management along with proactive Information Education and Communication (IEC) activities to combat the virus spread in both urban and rural areas.
While specially emphasizing on the villages of Haryana-NCR districts from where people are traveling daily to Delhi and other big cities for their work, the Haryana Government started monitoring all such people ensuring that the virus spread is contained and further hot-spot-like situations do not arise in such villages.
Haryana Villagers General Health Check Scheme (HVGHCS) was also specially formulated by the Health Department. Under this scheme 8000 multidisciplinary teams were constituted for conducting door-to-door health check-up of each rural household for the early detection of this disease. While conducting these health check-ups, the teams are closely monitoring every patient and those having mild or moderate symptoms are being asked to stay in home isolation, while those who are not having home isolation facility are made to stay in isolation centres that are being set up in the village itself.
Meanwhile, seeing the enthusiasm and dedication shown by these teams it is expected that the health check-up of the rural population is likely to complete within the next two days.
24,550 home isolated patients get special COVID-19 kits
While taking the herculean task of dampening the virus spread in the remote areas of Haryana head-on, Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal along with this enthusiastic team, in just a short span of time not only have strengthened the health infrastructure in terms of increasing the number of oxygen beds, ventilators, essential medicines at both Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Common Health Care Centre (CHC) levels but has also opened 1746 village Isolation Centres in each village so that no needy patient has to travel long distances to get the required treatment.
As per the official data, an arrangement of about 21,399 beds for COVID patients has been made in these Centres along with free distribution of specially designed COVID-19 kits carrying 15 different medical items including Oximeters, thermometers to the patients living in home isolation. So far, as many as 24,550 patients have received this kit provided by the Health Department.