Health dept goes all out to tackle Covid risk at 'Khelo India'

Health dept on mission mode to tackle Covid risk at Khelo India games

Health authorities are bracing themselves up for a logistical challenge in holding the Khelo India university games at five venues here from April 24 to May 3.

The second edition of the games will see over 8,000 athletes from 200 universities participate in 20 disciplines.

The health department is leaving nothing to chance to ensure the sporting event does not become a super-spreader.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be among those present at the inauguration of the games.

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The department has taken comfort from the fact that the recent cricket matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium went off without a hitch in spite of a capacity crowd.

All attendees will be required to be asymptomatic and fully vaccinated.

About 150 healthcare staff from government and private hospitals will be deployed at the venues during the entire duration of the event, to carry out rapid antigen tests (RATs) on people who show symptoms of Covid-19.

Whoever will be coming in contact with the Vice President will have to take an RT-PCR test.

Physicians, orthopaedic doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists and physiotherapists will be present in every venue for triaging purposes.

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A health committee under the health commissioner has been formed to discuss the strategy for the event and it has held a couple of meetings.

“Since this is a sporting event, we can’t mandate mask-wearing or social distancing. We can, at best, mandate screening and self-isolation of symptomatic people, sanitisation of the play area and access control measures, etc,” Health Commissioner D Randeep said.

All five venues will be sanitised before April 24, said Dr Bhargavi M S, training officer, health education training, department of health and family welfare.

The venues are Kanteerava Stadium, Sports Authority of India shooting range, Field Marshal KM Cariappa Stadium, Jain University global campus and Jain Sports School.

Thermal scanning, RAT testing, ambulances and medical teams for shifting symptomatic sportsmen will be in place.

The department is seeking the advice of the state Covid-19 technical advisory committee for coming out with protocols for the event.

The department will collaborate with private hospitals near each venue: HOSMAT, Mallya Hospital, BGS Hospital, Sparsh Hospital and Dayanand Medical College. There will also be doctors from state-run hospitals like Bowring, KC General, CV Raman General and Jayanagar General.

“Private medical colleges like Rajarajeswari Medical College will be asked to spare their postgraduate students to be deployed at the venue. The Vice President’s convoy will have one physician, anaesthetist and orthopaedic surgeon and an ambulance from Bowring Hospital, who will be with him from arrival to departure,” Bhargavi said.

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