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Home treatment a success

20 Oct 2021

  • Only 30% of patients from original number still under supervision
  • 1390 hotline service to be expanded
BY Pamodi Waravita A total of 3,168 Covid-19 patients are currently being monitored under the Health Ministry’s home treatment programme, which is approximately 30% of the patients that were part of the programme when it was initiated four months ago, Association of Specialist Family Physicians President Dr. Malkanthi Galhena said yesterday (20). She noted that this indicates a clear reduction in the number of Covid-19 infections. “We have treated a total of 97,777 patients as part of this programme in the last four months. From them, 92,128 patients completely recovered whilst only about 1,600 patients required hospital admission. We were able to address both the physical and mental health needs of the patients, whilst spreading good health practices amongst members of the society, as we often consulted entire families and households on the necessity of vaccination and adherence to health guidelines,” said Dr. Galhena at a Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) press conference held yesterday. She added that the Health Ministry hopes to broaden the 1390 hotline service which allows people to register for the home treatment service as it has shown successful results. Speaking at the same press conference, HPB Director Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawa expressed concern over observations of a reduced commitment towards following health guidelines such as the correct use of facemasks since the Covid-19 quarantine curfew was lifted at the beginning of this month. “This kind of behaviour is unfortunate,” he noted. Meanwhile, the provincial governors have decided to reopen the primary sections of schools coming under the purview of provincial councils (PCs) and with less than 200 students, from today (21) onwards. Commenting on this, Dr. Galhena said that parents are responsible for the protection of their children from Covid-19, and that they must lead by example. “It is important that children are taught about the importance of wearing facemasks, hand washing, social distancing, not touching their face or mouth, and not sharing food. Ensure that your children are hydrated and that they carry their own fluids with them. Tell your children that they do have the risk of being asymptomatic carriers of the disease, and that therefore, they must follow the health guidelines in order to reduce the risk of infecting their friends. Parents of children with chronic diseases must inform their respective teachers and principals about these conditions,” explained Dr. Galhena.


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