Centre asks states to take steps to curb Covid spread in rural areas

To control the spread of Covid-19 to rural and remote tribal areas, the Centre has asked states to open 30-bed makeshift Covid care centres in panchayat halls, loan pulse oximeters and thermometers to villagers, depute Ayush doctors, offer tele-consultation with community health officers and offer training in rapid antigen testing.

The ministry of health and family welfare has issued standard operating procedures on Covid-19 containment and management in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas. The SOPs have recommended three levels of care to handle Covid-19 cases –– Covid care centre for mild and asymptomatic cases at the village level, dedicated Covid health centre to manage moderate cases at the district level and dedicated Covid hospitals to manage severe cases at the district and state levels.

The SOPs have recommended active surveillance in every village to identify suspected Covid-19 cases. The SOPs observe, “Besides urban areas reporting a large number of cases, a gradual ingress is now being seen in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas as well. In view of this there is a need to enable communities, strengthen primary level healthcare infrastructure at all levels to intensify Covid-19 response in peri-urban, rural and tribal areas.” The SOPs recommend setting up for Covid care centres in community halls and equipping them with oxygen beds. “In every village, active surveillance should be done for influenza-like illness/severe acute respiratory infections (ILI/SARI) periodically by ASHA with the help of Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC),” the guidelines say.


A home isolation kit should also be provided to the infected family. Each kit must include medicines like paracetamol, ivermectin, cough syrup, and multivitamins, besides a detailed pamphlet indicating the precautions to be taken, a proforma to monitor the patient’s condition, contact details in case major symptoms show up or deterioration of health.