Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 19
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today expressed concern over the increase in number of Covid-related deaths in Kangra district. He directed officials to ensure that serious patients are shifted from home isolation to health institutions immediately so that proper treatment could be made available to them. He reviewed the Covid-19 situation in the district at Dharamsala.
Thakur said that the government had increased the bed capacity from 1,500 to about 5,000. On the request of the state government, the Central Government had also increased the quota of oxygen from 15 MT to 30 MT. He added that the state government had also urged the Union Government to further enhance the oxygen quota by 10 MT.
He said that the government was also increasing ICU beds in the health institutions. He said 20 additional ventilators had been provided to Tanda Medical Colleg and 25 ventilators to the IGMC, Shimla. He said that arrangements had been made to ensure adequate supply of oxygen in the Civil Hospital, Nurpur.
The Chief Minister said that in order to ensure adequate staff in the health institutions, the state government has recruited about 3000 employees on outsource basis. He said the government had also issued SOPs for management of dead bodies Covid patients. The government has also decided to provide financial assistance to the next of kin of the corona deceased to carry the dead body to their native places if they wish to do so.
Thakur said that efforts must be made to strengthen the home isolation mechanism as about 90 per cent of the Covid patients were in home isolation. He said that elected representatives such as MLAs, pradhans, BDC members, Zila Parishad members and ward members must actively participate in strengthening the home isolation mechanism by keeping in touch with the family members of the corona patients. Paramedical staff must also regularly monitor the health parameters of the home isolation patients.
The Chief Minister also launched home isolation kit Sanjeevni for the patients under home isolation in Kangra district. The kit to be provided to every patient in home isolation will help the patients in speedy recovery.
Thakur interacted through video-conferencing with Covid patients at the Zonal Hospital, Dharamsala, and Tanda Medical College. He took stock of the progress of a makeshift Covid hospitala t Paraur, and directed the executing agency to complete the work at the earliest. The makeshift hospital would be completed within two-three days, the CM was told.
Thakur said a Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) ward had been started at Ayurvedic Hospital, Dehra, to cater to the health problem of the people of the area. He said that a similar ward at Palampur became functional a few days ago.
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