Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 11 (IANS): Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja on Thursday informed that following a discussion with the private health sector, they have pledged full support to tackle the state government's initiatives in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.

About 100 officials from the private health sector took part in the online discussion.

"They have pledged their full support to the state government in treating Covid patients and also other ailments. They have agreed to provide their laboratories and ventilator facilities, if a need arises," said Shailaja.

"Today's discussions were a follow up on the earlier one that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had called and sought the support of the private health sector. We are fully geared as more and more Kerala diaspora are expected to return in the coming weeks and for that we have given training to 1.3 million health workers in both the private and public sectors. Another reason for today's meeting was to ensure that there is only one treatment protocol to handle this pandemic," added Shailaja.

Ever since the first Covid case was registered in the country at Thrissur, in the state on January 30, till Wednesday more than 2,000 people have turned positive, of which around 900 have by now been cured of the disease, while close to 2 lakh people are under observation at homes, institutional quarantine centres and hospitals.

More than 3.80 lakh Kerala diaspora have registered on the Norka-Roots website, of which close to 50,000 have already arrived and the state government expects a good number more to arrive and is getting ready to tackle it.