With 90% Recovery Rate, Punjab Is Fighting COVID-19 & Setting New Standards In Containing Virus

The coronavirus pandemic had Punjab staring at serious health crisis in April after the state had highest fatality rate among COVID-19 patients. Less than a month on, state has not only reversed the trend, but has seen an astonishing recovery.

NBC

According to Punjab government's health bulletin as on May 26, the state has so far recorded 2106 cases of coronavirus. But out of the total cases, a massive 1918 patients have been cured, giving the state a recovery rate over 90%.

It is even more significant because in April last week, Punjab's fatality rate stood at six per cent, which was double than the national average. But within a month, the state has reduced to rate to just two per cent. The state's recovery rate has also shot up to 92 per cent - highest in the country.

PTI

The state has so far seen 40 coronavirus related deaths.

Punjab's doubling rate of Covid-19 cases has also improved from three days on May 5 to 102 days on May 24, which is much higher as compared to the national average of 13 days.

How did Punjab achieve such success?

Thanks largely to the discharge policy where it directed to discharge asymptomatic positive cases and self isolate them at home. All positive patients who had completed isolation in designated facilities for seven days and were asymptomatic for next three days were sent home for self isolation.

In order to ensure home quarantine rules are followed, Punjab government is getting signed an undertaking from each such patient that in case he/she violates norms of self isolation, a case would be registered against him/her under Epidemic Diseases Act.

PTI

Every such patient needs to download COVA app, which monitors their location. They all have to ensure that WiFi is on at their place round the clock so that any deviation in their movement could be noticed.

If anyone sent home for self isolation does not show any symptoms for a week and remains asymptomatic, he or she is then ¡°free to move around¡±.

The moment any fluctuation is observed, the rapid response teams dealing with COVID-19 reach the house of any such person.

Punjab has currently more than 300 rapid response teams, comprising multi purpose health workers (MPHWs), auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), accredited social health activists (ASHAs), pharmacy officers, staff nurses and even medical officers.