Karnataka issues notification for formation of Dist Level COVID Technical Expert panels

PTI, Aug 17, 2021, 8:51 AM IST

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Monday issued a notification for formation of District Level COVID-19 Technical Expert Committees (TEC) for providing technical guidance to the district administrations.

Signed by Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Jawaid Akhtar, TEC has been constituted based on the recommendation of the state Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) from the experiences of two waves of COVID-19 pandemic and as the third wave is anticipated by the experts in October-November 2021.

The TEC shall pursue the guidelines issued by Government of India and Karnataka, ICMR, AllMS, New Delhi, WHO and other organisations on a regular basis, and will regularly interact with the State TAC and function under its overall guidance.

The TEC shall review the data at the district level and compare it with other districts, state, and national level on a continual basis, and shall help the district administration by using the information obtained locally and facilitate public health actions and containment measures.

The TEC shall guide the district administration to make decisions that are in consonance with guidelines of the state and the country, it added. The TEC shall consist of Senior Specialists in Public Health/ Comm.

Medicine, District Surveillance Officer (DSO), Senior Pulmonologist ,Senior Physician/ intensivist, Senior Pediatrician, Senior Obstetrician, Senior Microbiologist, Surveillance Medical Officer-WHO, and Senior Ayush Physician.

The Committee will have a District Health and Family Welfare Officer and District Surgeon as special invitees. According to the notification, the Committee shall meet on a regular basis, at least fortnightly, and based on the need may meet more frequently, and a copy of the proceedings shall be sent to Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Services, Bengaluru through Deputy Commissioner.

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) constituted at the State level will lay down the activities to be taken up and will handhold the District TECs in their functioning.