Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here on Saturday said his government has decided to launch a door-to-door screening drive to detect coronavirus cases at villages, according to a statement.

“We have to protect rural areas from this deadly infection at any cost. Therefore, every officer concerned should ensure that special vigilance is kept on every village and for this, a massive  COVID-19 screening campaign should be conducted,” the CM told officials at a review meeting.

He said a special awareness campaign-cum-counselling of rural inhabitants should be done and for this officers of Health Department, along with accredited social health activists (ASHAs), former and present public representatives in each village have to play a key role.

“Further strengthening of medical infrastructure along with ramping up COVID-19 management preparations coupled with aggressive surveillance, stringent containment, focused clinical management  should also be done in every village on a priority basis," directed the chief minister.

Khattar directed that about 8,000 multidisciplinary teams led by trainee doctors, including Health Department officials, ASHAs and Anganwadi workers should be constituted across the state for the door-to-door screening in villages.

“If during the screening camps, any person is found having COVID-like symptoms, then the person should be advised to stay in home isolation immediately so as to prevent the possibility of the infection spread. Approximately one team per 500 households should be deployed for conducting the health screening,” said Khattar.

He said while conducting the screening, the multidisciplinary teams should ensure that the patients having mild and moderate symptoms are immediately given preventive medicines.

Besides, it should also be ensured that those having severe symptoms are immediately hospitalised, he added.

The chief minister said since the infection is spreading fast in rural areas, screening camps focusing on “test, track and treat” should be held.

Besides, the Health Department has also been directed to impart necessary training to people in villages so that they can spread the required awareness against the disease, he added.

“Awareness campaigns along with proactive information education and communication (IEC) activities, especially in rural areas, should be started,” he said.

The chief minister directed that the possibility of converting dharamshalas and government schools into isolation centres should be explored at the earliest. He said if the patient rush in the COVID care centres and hospital increases, then the dharamshalas and government schools having required medical facilities to treat the COVID-19 patients can be utilised.