From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 10: Deputy chief minister and state Covid Task Force head, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, directed officials to immediately integrate the real-time data of the supply of oxygen, anti-viral drug Remdesivir and beds allocated under government quota in private hospitals to Suvarna Arogya Trust (SAST) portal.

Speaking to the reporters after his visit to review the management in the State Covid War Room in Bengaluru on Monday, he said integrating the data on the key elements in the fight against the pandemic in the SAST portal was essential and it would not be possible to deliver the services in a systematic way.

Officers have been instructed to link all the above-mentioned data to the portal (http://arogya.karnataka.gov.in/) within three days, he said.

Dr Narayan said: "The above data should be made to be displayed in the SAST portal on a real-time basis. This will enable us to know who needs what and to whom the supplied things are reaching on a real-time basis. Ultimately this would result in streamlining the COVID services management.”

Hospitals and labs have been strictly instructed to provide results of RTPCR tests within 24 hours of the sample collection.

Currently, considering the overall state average, the time taken to provide results has been reduced to 2 days from the earlier 4 to 5 days.

But measures will be taken to further reduce it to give results within 24 hours. The labs which delay giving results are being fined Rs 150 per case, he explained.

At present, there is a demand for about 7000 beds in the city of Bengaluru.

To put a check on those who get unnecessarily hospitalized, triaging of these bed seekers will be done in 60 L-1 (includes maternity homes, medical colleges and Covid Care Centers) and L-2 (PHCs) centres.

After triaging the number of beds really needed may reduce to around 2500.

The deputy chief minister said the state government is providing 1,000 beds apart from the beds reserved in private hospitals. So, for Bengaluru city every day 2,500 beds can be made available, he said.

Legal action will be taken against those who try to take advantage of the situation and sell drugs, pulse oximeter etc., at a higher price.

"These essential items should not be sold at a higher price than MRP. The public can lodge complaints by calling 112 if they find such incidents,’’ Dr Narayan said.

Meanwhile, he said the state government has decided to procure 2 lac pulse oximeters and out of this 25,000 will be procured immediately in the first phase.

Political advisor to the chief minister Prashanth Prakash, senior IAS Officers Ponnuraj, Manish Moudgal, Arundhati Chandra Shekar, Pradeep P, Giri Gowda, SAST portal executive director N T Abru, KAS officer, Rajendra Kumara were present.