Punjab CM for mandatory screening of NRI returnees

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday directed the health department to ensure mandatory screeningfollowed by institutional quarantine for those coming back to the state from high-risk regions of India, and hotel or home quarantine for the NRIs.

To deal with the "additional pressure", the state government has also decided to rope in universities and state-run labs, with the chief minister sanctioning an immediate amount of Rs 12 crore for equipment and operational expense for six such institutions -- Regional Disease Diagnostic Lab (RDDL), North Zone Jalandhar; GADVASU, Ludhiana; Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Punjabi University, Patiala; Punjab Biotech Incubator, Mohali; and Punjab Forensic Lab, Mohali.

The state government has decided to come to the rescue of the central government testing facilities which are unable to enhance their capacities due to non-availability of kits from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),an official statement said.

The chief minister has directed such centres to purchase testing kits for use in Punjab from the open market, for which the state government will bear the expenses.

The state is currently testing 2,800 persons a day, an increase from 1500 a day last week.

The chief minister also directed the deputy commissioners to prepare a list of private hotels that can be utilised for paid quarantine, while asking the Health Department to make an inventory of functional/non-functional private hospitals.

The decisions were announced during a video conference held by the chief minister with health and medical experts.

During the meeting, Amarinder pointed out that as of now 21,000 people from Punjab settled abroad want to return home.

He said he did not want to rely on the medical certificates that other nations were required to give to the returnees.

The chief minister said the NRIs should be given the option for quarantine, on self-payment basis, in hotels and at home under supervision during the time their testing is pending, which should be done within 4-5 days of arrival.