Meghalaya: CM says condition of COVID-19 patients ‘stable’

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 18, 2020

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma today said a total of 667 of 730 samples have been tested negative while results of 60 are being awaited. 

Two more people have been tested positive, taking the state’s tally to 10. 

“There are 10 active positive cases in the state and the condition of all the patients is stable as of now,” Sangma said on Saturday.

On one of the positive case detected today in suburban area, the Chief Minister said, “The person was working in the house of index patient (first Covid19 positive) and the sample of the four high risk primary contacts and 32 other primary contacts of the person who tested positive have already been collected”. 

He informed that the headman of that particular village have urged all the primary contact of the new case from the area to be under strict home quarantine with support of the frontline health workers.  

“Visits have been made by the health officials in the village and officials of the block has visited the village to ensure that they instil confidence in the villages and the family concerned,” the Chief Minister added. 

He spoke at length on testing protocol and on case management protocols for confirmed positive cases. He informed that a lot of people have called asking why they have not been tested, to which Chief Minister said that testings have been prioritise and the high risk primary contacts those who lived in close proximity and contact with the positive patient are the highest primary contacts, for which testing are being done first.  

“The next level will be other symptomatic primary contacts. These are primary contacts who have been in close proximity with the concerned individual. And third are symptomatic high risk individuals who have visited the concern hospital on or after March 24 and registered with the government and these are more of individuals who met with the person directly,” the Chief Minister informed.  

He informed that all asymptotic cases and asymptomatic individuals who have visited Bethany Hospital after 24th of March 2020 and have registered with the government are not being tested currently. He said that all those individuals should go for mandatory home quarantine for at least 14 days and in case they develop symptoms they should call the helpline number 108. 

On case management protocol, the Chief Minister said, “All the asymptomatic category A and mild symptomatic category B positive patients do not require hospitalisation. As per the protocol issued by the MoHFW they should be either in home quarantine or they can opt to be shifted to the Government designated Corona Care centre by calling 108.” 

He also stated that in case the patients do not have space for themselves to self isolate at home, they can avail facilities of the Government. “Existing evidence shows that 80o per cent of the positive cases across the world fall under category A and category B”, the Chief Minister said, while adding, “Severe and symptomatic cases having respiratory distress, breathing difficulty requiring oxygen support fall under category C and they would be treated at the designated hospital”. 

He also informed that severe symptomatic cases with other comorbidity conditions and requiring ventilator and ICU support is category D would be treated at designated hospitals having such facilities facilities like the Civil Hospital, Dr. H. Gordon Roberts Hospital Care, Shillong and Nazareth Hospital.

On farming activities, the Chief Minister said, “Products like areca nut, beetle leaf and broom sticks will be allowed to transport to different markets with restriction, and  transportation outside the State will not be allowed.”