Agartala, Aug 26 (IANS): In a novel initiative at the instance of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, the state government has started distributing books on Swami Vivekananda in the Covid Care Centres to help patients overcome mental fatigue, officials said on Wednesday.

"To keep the Covid-19 patients motivated and mentally strong, we have decided to distribute books written on Swami Vivekananda to every Covid patient so that they can read these books and get inspired by his thoughts," Deb said in a tweet.

An official of the Information and Cultural Affairs Department said that the Chief Minister on Tuesday evening handed over sets of books on Swami Vivekananda to the health officials and others to distribute among the under treatment Covid-19 patients.

"These books would help the under treatment Covid-19 patients in various centres across the state to overcome mental exhaustion. The initiative was undertaken at the instance of the Chief Minister," an ICA official said.

Health officials said that they have also taken several initiatives, including music, to overcome the mental fatigue of the under treatment Covid-19 patients. "The Chief Minister, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare Department, has been regularly monitoring the treatment and health and hygiene of the Covid-19 and other patients in the hospitals and CCCs," the officials said.

Tripura till Tuesday night had 9,213 Covid-19 positive cases with 6,574 patients having recovered. In all 83 people including women have succumbed to the dreaded disease.