From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 27: With the oxygen shortage leading to death of four persons in the SNR Hospital in Kolar on Monday night, Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan rushed to the district on Tuesday for a total review of the situation in the district.
Dr Ashwath Narayan, who is also in charge of Higher Education, took note of the surge of Covid infection cases in Kolar due to the Second Wave and the consequent problems of shortages of oxygen, Remdesivir injections, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, ventilators etc.
The SNR Hospital in Kolar has a jumbo cylinder and another cylinder for oxygen supply. “I have directed that the storage capacity of both oxygen cylinders mut be increased to 6,000 litres. The government will provide a separate pipeline for the ICU. The load carrying capacity of the pipeline will be increased from the present 60 points to 200 points,’’ he said mentioning that the shortages are being immediately addressed.
The Hospital presently has 500 beds of which 100 are reserved for pregnant women and children. The oxygenated beds in the RL Jalappa Hosptial will also be increased. The district hospital has sufficient stocks of Remdesivir injections and private hospitals can obtain stocks in case of emergency, he said and stressed the need for strengthening the testing and treatment facilities in all taluk hospitals.
The district needs to step up the vaccination efforts of all persons above 45 years and get ready for the vaccination of above 18 persons from May 1, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister visited the district hospital and inspected the Covid testing and other facilities. He also visited the War Room and discussed with the persons in charge of the War Room on the problems faced by them.
He examined the treatments provided to the patients in the hospital as also to those in home quarantine. He suggested steps to improve the facilities and the War Room.
Dr Narayan took the District Hospital doctors to task for not maintaining proper records about the patients who had received treatment during the first wave as also at present.
“If you don’t have the correct data about the infected people and admissions, the number of people who received treatment and such details, how are you handling the Covid situation,’’ he asked the Hospital authorities and criticized the lack of preparations.
However, while speaking to reporters after the inspections and review, Dr Narayan said the War Room was well-maintained and said it will help the entire district if all the data was immediately made available to it.
He also said that he had asked the District medical authorities to step up the efforts on maintaining and collecting data on the number of people infected, those receiving treatment in hospitals, admissions and those under home quarantine.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that shortage of medicines should not be allowed as 80 to 90% of infected people were under home isolation. Such people should be given necessary treatment and consultations through the call centres.
Kolar has been presently conducting tests of 1,400 persons daily. The tests were being done on asymptomatic persons and the district authorities have been advised to test people with symptoms. The testing and results must be expedited and all the 6,500 samples must be cleared quickly, he said emphasizing the need to provide results within 24 hours of testing for effectively controlling the pandemic.
Kolar Lok Sabha member Muniswamy, MLC Y A Narayana Gowda, MLA Srinivas Gowda and Roopa Shashidhar, Nanjegowda and BJP district president Venugopal along with District Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police participated in the meeting.