Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya meets Vijayan on Kerala Covid surge, assures 1.11 cr vax doses

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16

In Kerala to review Covid-19 surge, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and allocated Rs 267.35 crore to help augment critical infrastructure in the state as mounting active caseload begins to put pressure on hospitals. He also promised to provide 1.11 crore vaccines doses in August and September.

Also present at the meeting was Kerala Health Minister Veena George.

Mandaviya said he had a good meeting and tweeted, “The central government has decided to allocate Rs 267.35 crore to Kerala under emergency Covid Response Package- II. This fund will strengthen the state’s health infrastructure and help it effectively manage Covid-19. Other than this, for each district Rs one crore will be made available for creating a medicine pool.”

Mandaviya added that the creation of a Centre of Excellence that caters to telemedicine facilities in each district of Kerala was also envisaged with the support of the Union Government.

“Paediatric ICUs along with a 10 kilo-litre liquid oxygen storage tank facility will come up at every district hospital to prioritise the health of children in the pandemic. We have assured all possible help to Kerala, including providing vaccines,” said the Union Health Minister.

Kerala continues to make up nearly half of the country’s current daily new Covid caseload, with rising infection trends. Of the 37 Indian districts reporting rising cases in the past two weeks, 11 are in Kerala with Malappuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur particularly vulnerable.

A Central team that returned from the state recently found 80 per cent of Covid infected in the state home isolated with inadequate contact tracing.

The government is focusing on high-burden states and districts to contain a potential third wave.

• 32,937 fresh cases
• Total deaths: 4,31,642
• Active cases: 3,81,947
• 417 deaths in 24 hours