Amid a global outbreak of the coronavirus, Kerala has earned praise for its effective and efficient handling of the COVID-19 cases that were reported in the state by a BBC talk show panel.
A video of the discussion was posted on BBC News India’s Facebook page, showing a panel discussing the outbreak and how the people and governments are prepared or are responding to it. The news anchor Devina Gupta is in a discussion with Chinese journalist Qian Sun, virologist Dr Shahid Jameel and Subodh Rai, senior director of Crisil Ratings. The panel highlighted how Kerala efficiently managed to contain the three positive cases of coronavirus virus that were reported, even tackling the Nipah and Zika virus cases in the past, and what can be learnt from the state.
Dr Jameel said that Kerala has developed its health infrastructure very well, and apart from hospitals, the primary health centres, which are the first level of contact with the population, are also well-developed. The state has the capability to diagnose and track viruses and other infections, he added.
Kerala successfully handled the country’s first three positive cases, all medical students from Wuhan where the virus broke out, having followed a rigid protocol, including a 28-day quarantine to contain the spread of the infection.
The state Health Minister K.K. Shailaja had explained that the health department officials traced people who returned to Kerala from infected areas and isolated them even if they had minor symptoms. The rest were home quarantined.
Watch the full segment here:
(With inputs from PTI)