COVID-19: Sudhakar interacts with Kerala minister

Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar held a video conference on Monday with Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja and discussed control and treatment practices adopted to fight COVID-19 in both the states.

For more than 50 minutes, the two states discussed in detail the steps adopted for tracing, testing and treating the disease, the outcome, and the measures to be taken to address the challenges following the lifting of the lockdown. The two ministers agreed to have regular dialogue to exchange information on disease control and quality treatment for patients.

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Explaining the steps taken for better management of COVID-19, Minister Shailaja said that soon after students returned from Wuhan, Kerala had taken proper precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. Kerala is equipped with health facilities at the taluk-level and it became easier for them to quarantine the infected and treat them at various levels. This has reduced the mortality rate in Kerala, she said.

Emphasising the efforts put by Kerala to contain the virus, the minister said the population density in Kerala is sparse compared to Karnataka. With health department staff, Ashas are helping to break the chain of infection.

The state is also receiving assistance from the CCB police. Stringent action was taken to avoid contact with the infected people. It’s a challenge now to tackle migrant workers as a large number of migrants from other states and abroad have registered to return after the lockdown. Many who have recently arrived from Chennai have tested positive, she said.