Maha: Aurangabad authorities plan SOP to bring down COVID-19 mortality rate

The administration in Maharashtras Aurangabad district has completed a study of COVID-19 deaths in the region and has decided to formulate an SOP for referring patients from one facility to another to bring down the mortality rate, a senior official said on Friday.

The administration in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district has completed a study of COVID-19 deaths in the region and has decided to formulate an SOP for referring patients from one facility to another to bring down the mortality rate, a senior official said on Friday. Speaking to reporters, district collector Sunil Chavan said the administration will undertake a massive testing programme to track down suspected super spreaders of the COVID-19 infection. ''So far 3,490 patients have died of the infection in the district, of which 1,248 deaths were reported during the first wave. To keep the COVID-19 mortality rate under control during the third wave, the district disaster management authority has decided to design a standard operating procedure (SOP) for referring patients from one facility to another,'' Chavan said. Only when patients' condition deteriorates should they be referred to another treatment facility, and the SOP will cover aspects such as the type of ambulance and medical equipment needed for shifting such patients, he said. The district administration will undertake a massive testing drive and take stringent action against people who violate COVID-19 safety norms, the official said.

''We have one lakh kits each of rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests. We will administer these tests on vegetable vendors, milk vendors and others, to track down super spreaders,'' he said, adding that the administration is well prepared with 631 beds for children.

If an autorickshaw driver or a shopkeeper is found without a mask, he will be fined. And if caught for the third time, his permit will be cancelled, the official said. The administration is also in the process of developing a mobile application to give real-time information about bed availability to citizens, he added. Till Thursday, Aurangabad had recorded 147,344 COVID-19 cases, of which 1,43,550 patients have recovered from the infection and 3,490 have died. The district currently has 304 active cases.

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