Send team to Bapu Dham: Governor to PGI

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 12

As the Covid count in the city continues to see a rise, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today advised senior officers yet again to focus on the containment zones so that there was no further spread of infection.

The Administrator also discussed the progress of screening and medical testing and treatment of Covid patients in various medical institutions.

He advised the PGI to send a public health team to Bapu Dham Colony and make specific recommendations for improving the field operations. The mismanagement of these operations has drawn flak of late. Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGI, said, a team of doctors would visit Bapu Dham to analyse the ground situation and make recommendation to stop the spread of infection in the colony.

During the daily review meeting, the Administrator also appealed to the residents to help in beating the pandemic and strictly follow social distancing, hand hygiene and to wear masks in public places. He reiterated that the decision on easing the lockdown would be taken after discussion with the Government of India and all stakeholders.

A total of 189 Covid cases have been reported in the city so far. The maximum cases are from Bapu Dham Colony, which had been declared a containment zone.

Finally, paying heed to shift people from containment zones, Principal Secretary (Health) Arun Kumar Gupta said the Administration had operationalised Covid care centres in the city, the latest being Sood Dharamshala in Sector 22. This centre would be managed with the assistance of a medical team from the GMCH-32, he added.

New Covid cases, which are either asymptomatic or with mild symptoms will be shifted to Sood Dharamshala, a 300-bed facility. The 50-bed facility at the Sector 46 Ayurvedic Hospital has already been exhausted. At present, there are 108 patients in Nehru Hospital Extension (NHE) at the PGI. Four of them are in ICU. Around 100 beds in the NHE have been reserved for moderate to critical patients, who may need ventilator support. Adviser Manoj Parida clarified only those patients fulfilling the norms for home quarantine like having spacious houses with adequate facilities would be discharged after 10 days. Those having smaller houses where social distancing norms could not be followed would be kept in the hospital for 17 days.