Kerala govt to provide COVID-19 vaccines for bedridden & debilitated patients at home

The Kerala government announced on Tuesday, June 8, that COVID vaccines will be delivered to bedridden and disabled patients at their homes. It added that an ambulance would be stationed nearby so that the patient may receive prompt medical assistance in the case of an emergency. 

According to reports, the Kerala government issued a directive today that stated that the state shall vaccinate the bedridden and disabled individuals who cannot be transferred out and for whose mobilization will exacerbate their current health status at their homes.  The list of such recipients will be compiled in advance, after establishing that there are no contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination and receiving informed signed consent in the format required.

Bedridden and debilitated patients to get vaccinated at home in Kerala

As per reports, the directive stated that an ambulance equipped with the essential emergency AEFI management gear and medical personnel should be "placed nearby in case of an emergency". A medical officer, a vaccinator, and a support staff will be assigned to each house visit team. Surgical gowns, N95 masks, face shields, and gloves should be worn by all of them. Hand sanitizing should be done before and after examining/vaccinating the beneficiary, according to protocol.

During the house visit, the medical officer will examine the recipient to determine his or her overall health and immunization readiness. The beneficiary will only be vaccinated by trained workers, according to the order. One person will be stationed at the household for a minimum of 30 minutes to monitor the vaccinated for any AEFI. It stated that if he or she feels uneasy, he or she should immediately notify the medical officer on the team/ambulance team.

The beneficiary should be contacted by phone over the next 48 hours, and a contact number should be supplied with them in case of an emergency. The Palliative Care Team of the concerned Health Care Institution may follow up with these beneficiaries for a period of three weeks, according to the order.

COVID-19 situation in Kerala

On Monday, the Kerala government extended the lockdown, which was set to end on June 9, to June 16, after the state recorded 9,313 new COVID-19 cases and 221 new deaths.  The total number of people infected was 26,12,370, with a death toll of 10,157, while 21,921 people recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of people cured in the state to 24,83,992.  According to the chief minister's office, the government decided to extend the lockdown until June 16 due of the high test positive rate in the state.

Picture Credit: PTI