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Battle against COVID- Need for more thermal guns now in Chennai
Posted on: 11/Aug/2020 10:05:28 AM
The surveillance workers belonging to GCC are now facing shortage in the thermal guns. It is common knowledge that thermal guns are used to check ten temperature of a person.
According to GCC, 13,000 temperature checking devices or thermal guns have been supplied but as per the ground reports it is clear that in every ward one gun is being shared by 2 workers. It was pointed out by a fever surveillance worker that she and her colleague share one thermal gun.
She then explained about how initially it was mentioned that every worker would be given a thermal gun and how first every outreach worker of NGOs undertaking CIP in the slum areas was given the guns. Point is later she received the thermal gun and there has been shortage.
The practical difficulties faced by the surveillance workers were brought to light. It must be taken into note that the temperature and other symptoms of every person from the street assigned to the workers must be entered in the mobile apps. Fact is this becomes tough as two workers share one temperature checking device. It was later pointed out by a NGO representative that in the beginning one thermometer per person was promised but due to the shortage many cases were missed.
A zonal health officer expressed his disappointment and spoke about how for the total requirement of 800 thermal guns just half the number was given. He highlighted the importance of the thermal guns and pulse oxymeters and said that these devices helped him to identify many cases.
Joint commissioner health, Mr. P. Madhusudhan Reddy revealed that 13000 thermal guns and 12000 pulse oxymeters ware handed across all the zones. He hinted about another 3000 that would be supplied from TN Medical services Corporation.
