Bihar: Health Department Implements Stricter Measures to Tackle COVID Sub-Variant JN.1

PATNA – In response to the emergence of the Omicron sub-variant JN.1, the state Health Department has announced heightened vigilance and stringent measures. The decision mandates that all patients presenting with symptoms such as fever, cough, and respiratory illnesses like Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) must undergo mandatory Covid testing upon hospital admission.

Upon confirmation of a positive Covid test, the Health Department will conduct genome sequencing to identify the specific sub-variant. Following the recent detection of three new positive cases of Covid in the state, the Health Department issued updated guidelines to the principals of medical colleges, hospital superintendents, and civil surgeons at RMRI, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, and AIIMS Patna.

Officials at various healthcare institutions have been instructed to rigorously adhere to Covid rules outlined in the guidelines. The Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department communicated these directives to districts across the state. Districts have been urged to intensify Covid testing, particularly RT-PCR tests, and promptly upload reports of ILI and SARI cases on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal.

In addition to testing, healthcare facilities are instructed to review the functionality of general, oxygen, and ICU beds. The evaluation encompasses the availability of essential resources, including medicines, medical professionals, oxygen equipment, and reagents. Districts are also mandated to ensure the widespread use of masks, the availability of sanitizers in all hospitals, and a continuous review of Covid tests conducted in both private and government labs.

Civil surgeons are specifically directed to periodically review and upload Covid test reports on the Covid Bihar portal. The comprehensive approach aims to curb the spread of sub-variants of Omicron by implementing strict adherence to the newly issued guidelines.