Karnataka expert panel tells govt to stop pasting notices on COVID patients’ homes

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s expert committee on COVID-19 has recommended that the practice of pasting notices on the doors and walls of the residence of COVID infected persons be discontinued.

Making their recommendation, the committee said that these leaflets that are pasted on the premises will only serve to spread and increase fear among the neighbours, thereby stopping others from volunteering for tests.

The committee has also suggested that the state government come up with measures to boost the doctors’ confidence.

Chairman of the committee, Dr. CN Manjunath said fear and stigma around COVID-19 stops people from coming forward even when they have symptoms. He added that pasting of names and details of home-quarantined persons on the doors and walls of their homes must be stopped.

The expert committee also suggested that government doctors who are on Covid duty must be quarantined in good hotels once in 14 days of duty, just like it is being done in Delhi.

They recommended that all COVID testing labs be given a day’s holiday once in 10 days during which it should be fumigated.

This expert committee was set up by the government based on the Supreme Court’s directions.

Apart from monitoring the COVID care in the state, the committee will also oversee treatment, availability of drugs, the functioning of help desks in hospitals.

Source: NK