COVID-19: KGMOA submits proposal for two-week lockdown to Kerala govt

The Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) has submitted a proposal to the state government requesting a two-week state-wide lockdown to avert similar health crisis faced by states like Delhi and Maharashtra.

The proposal also includes other key proposals also relating to new vaccination guidelines issued by the state government.

In the representation given to state Chief Secretary, KGMOA president Dr G S Vijayakrishnan, "With over 2.5 lakh patients and over 25 per cent Test Positivity Rate (TPR), Kerala is currently on the verge of a large outbreak. Studies show that genetically modified viruses can be transmitted from person to person through the air. It can spread from one patient to hundreds. The most crucial step in cutting the link to this serious spread is to avoid people reaching out to public places and making sure they stay indoors. Realising this scientific fact, a two-week lockdown should be imposed in the state immediately."

Kerala reported 38,607 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, the KGMOA president said that similar to other states, Kerala should also impose a lockdown as soon as possible as the increase in the number of patients is a warning sign that the health system may become overburdened.

He added that the depletion of human resources is a major challenge the healthcare institutions are facing.

"The Department of Health has taken on the heavy responsibility of running new systems such as COVID First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs), COVID Second Line Treatment Centres (CSLTCs) and Covid Hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. There is an urgent need to recruit health care workers, including more doctors, to make sure that this works effectively," he said.

Another suggestion put forth by the government doctors association is to start a teleconsultation system for those COVID patients who are staying at home, informed Dr Vijayakrishnan.

"A centralised real-time model should be developed to integrate government and private sector information and make the availability of beds (ICU bed, oxygen bed, non-oxygen bed) transparent. Also, an Admission Referral Protocol should be prepared for admission to secondary and tertiary level COVID hospitals, CSLTCs and CFLTCs. COVID hospital beds should be reserved for category B and C patients and non-critical category A patients should not be admitted there," suggested the KGMOA president.

( With inputs from ANI )