New Delhi: In an attempt to create more COVID care centres across the country, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday appealed Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to create small COVID care facilities within the residential complex managed either by the RWAs or Residential Societies or in collaboration with an NGO.
The Ministry believes that such centres may be more acceptable to the residents and will help reduce the burden on existing facilities for managing suspect, pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic and very mild cases of COVID-19.
The call given by MoHFW was, however, hailed by RWAs and NGOs. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Vimal Sharma, Noida Sector 50 RWA President, hailed the suggestion.
"Due to fear of institutional quarantine, people with asymptomatic characters feel hesitant to approach the authorities or medical practitioners. If we can create such COVID care facility within the residential complex it will be very good. People will definitely approach the authorities if they find any symptoms of the disease," said Sharma.
He also suggested that district administration should set up temporary health care centres in societies for the accessibility of the citizens.
"Creation of such temporary health care centres would definitely help the people with testing and other requirements…CMOs of particular districts should definitely take required steps in this direction," said Sharma.
Read:Health Ministry issues guidelines for gated housing complexes to set up COVID facilities
He also said that the community hall, as well as a common utility, could be used for this purpose.
The health ministry also issued guidance documents to help RWAs, Residential Societies, NGOs which are desirous of establishing a small COVID Care Facility, a community-based isolation facility, with their own resources.
The ministry in its guidelines said that RWAs, Residential Societies should follow the basic prevention and control practices for COVID-19 facility.
"It will be a dedicated health facility to manage suspects, asymptomatic, presymptomatic, very mild cases of COVID-19, residing in that particular residential facility," the ministry said.
The guidelines issued a caution that no intermixing of the suspect and confirmed cases shall be allowed in the COVID centres.
"The COVID care facility will be linked to the surveillance team (IDSP) and an ambulance provider. Important telephone numbers of RWA, Residential Society and NGO, doctor, caregiver and ambulance service provider shall be displayed prominently," the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry said.
The COVID care facility will be makeshift. This may be set up in community hall, common utility area etc. within the premises of residential complexes or empty flats which are isolated location-wise from the rest of the occupied dwelling.