Arvind Kejriwal tells officials to strengthen monitoring of Covid-19 patients in home isolation

Arvind Kejriwal instructed officers present to pay special attention to home isolation patients who may need hospitalisation, the government said.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asked state government officials to revive and strengthen the home isolation monitoring system for Covid-19 patients, and issued specific directions on mandatory phone calls by medical officers within 24 hours of a patient testing positive, providing pulse oximeters, and maintaining records.

The review meeting was chaired by Arvind Kejriwal and attended by deputy CM Manish Sisodia, chief secretary Vijay Dev, and other senior officials.. (ANI Photo)

The review meeting was chaired by Kejriwal and attended by deputy CM Manish Sisodia, chief secretary Vijay Dev, and other senior officials.

With the city adding more than 20,000 new Covid-19 cases every day for over two weeks, government officers in several districts said they were unable to contact people isolated at home. Officials, who asked not to be named, said that while district surveillance teams were earlier getting in touch with around 31 contacts of each infected person as part of the state’s contact tracing efforts, this has stopped completely because of the sheer number of cases in the city.

“During the meeting, he [Kejriwal] directed that people being treated at home should receive a call from a doctor within 24 hours of being tested positive. He also directed that a clear record be kept of the number of Covid-19 patients going to the hospital and of those being treated at home. Kejriwal directed that patients in home isolation who do not have an oximeter should also be provided one, along with a Covid-19 kit,” the government said in a statement issued after the meeting.

Till Sunday evening, over 50,000 Covid patients in Delhi were being treated at home, according to government data