Keeping in view of surging cases of COVID-19 and higher Case Fatality Rate (CFR) in Punjab, the Health Minister Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu today instructed all the Civil Surgeons to motivate the severe COVID-19 patients for early treatment at Government health facilities.
Expressing concern over the symptomatic people typically fails to report at healthcare facilities, Mr Sidhu said that as per the death review team of the Health Department, 77.90 percent of cases of COVID-19 came for treatment in hospitals with severe symptoms at a late stage which is a major cause of higher CFR of State. He said that it is the moral responsibility of all citizens that if anyone feels symptoms of COVID-19, he/she should not delay seeking treatment and immediately visit the Govt. health facilities to get tested so as the positive patients can be treated timely. .
Health Minister pointed out that the true level of COVID-19 transmission is frequently underestimated by high-risk populations. Because of it, people with severe symptoms remain undetected and thus fail to get treatment at healthcare facilities.
Sharing the details of positive cases of COVID-19 and deaths reported urban/Rural populations, he further said that 71.40 percent cases have been confirmed from the urban population and only 28.60 percent cases have been reported from the rural population, during January to February 2021, but the deaths reported in urban is 45.50 percent which is much lower than rural where it is 54.50 percent.
It clarified that people with co-morbidity came for treatment with severe and advanced stage of COVID-19 at hospitals in rural areas and he urged the COVID-19 patients to immediately contact the hospital in case of any health issue.
Divulging about the age-wise distribution of COVID-19 deaths, Health Minister said that it is also a matter of concern that more than 80 percent of deaths have been reported in people with elderly age. He said that 31.70 percent of deaths were reported in patients aged between 61-70 years, 31.50 percent above 70 years and 20.30 percent deaths reported in patients who were aged between 51-60 years.
Mr. Sidhu also appealed to the people to take maximum benefit of free of cost vaccination drive and all eligible beneficiaries must get themselves vaccinated at the earliest.