From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 21: Within a day after the state government’s decision to clamp down 14-day night curfew from 9 pm to 6 am daily with effect from Wednesday night throughout the state and also complete curfew on weekends from Friday 9 pm to Monday 6 am till May 4 as part of the strategy to control the spike in Covid infection cases during the current second wave, deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan kept himself busy from a morning visiting different hospitals and testing diagnostic laboratories to take stock of the situation.

Dr Narayan, who is also the higher education minister, directed the hospitals and laboratories to furnish the reports of tests conducted within 24 hours of collecting the samples.

He visited the K C General Hospital in Malleswaram, the Employees State Insurance (ESI) Hospital in Rajajinagar, Lifecell Lab, Victoria and Kidwai Hospitals during the entire day from morning and inspected the Covid containment facilities available, testing, treatment, vaccine and other aspects.

The hospitals were asked to send samples for testing to the laboratories at least thrice a day and directed the latter to furnish the test results within 24 hours of receiving the samples. The administrators of the hospitals and laboratories and senior medical officers were advised to monitor the situation constantly.

The nasal and throat samples must be collected constantly and sent to the laboratories and the latter must take steps to provide the test reports every three hours. This will ensure that all the persons who tested positive will be able to get treatment within 24 hours of providing the samples and eliminate loss of lives, the deputy chief minister said.

Dr Narayan said there was no shortage of oxygen supply in the K C General Hospital, which however had shortcomings in the supply of medical kits due to problems in the purchases. These are being set right and the hospital will be able to handle the Covid cases without any problem, he said.

The hospital superintendent Dr Venkateshaiah informed the deputy chief minister that test samples were sent in five to six batches daily. The hospital had an 8,000-litre capacity oxygen plant and the hospital was using 4,000 litres of oxygen daily.

Speaking to reporters, who accompanied the deputy chief minister during his hospital rounds, Dr Narayan said the patients should not insist on a particular hospital for treatment after being tested positive. The K C General Hospital has 450 beds, of which over 180 have been reserved for Covid patients, and steps are being taken to augment the bed strength by another 100. The hospital has 120 ventilators, he said.

During his visit to the Lifecell Laboratory in Rajajinagar, Dr Narayan was told that it was received testing samples only once a day and assured that it was ready to carry out analysis even if the samples were sent in three batches a day with immediate effect.

The laboratory analysts admitted that the test results took 48 to 70 hours and promised to take steps to reduce the duration for providing results.

The ESI Hospital in Rajajinagar had 420 beds, of which 120 have been reserved for Covid patients. The hospital was asked to increase the bed strength by another 60.

The deputy chief minister assured the hospital that the Umidifier machine necessary for attaching to the RNA Extraction Unit and ventilators will be provided besides ensuring the availability of necessary technical staff.

The Victoria Hospital is proposed to be used a 750-bed Covid treatment centre. While the hospital presently had 350 beds, steps are being taken to enhance the number. The hospital is equipped with 50 ventilators.

Dr Narayan lamented that most of the people were undergoing tests despite having Covid symptoms. People with cough, cold or fever should compulsorily undergo Covid testing and delays would be dangerous to them as well as the persons coming in contact with them.

He also visited the Kidwai Institute of Oncology and inspected the latest Covid Testing Centre established on the campus.

The deputy chief minister also discussed the problems regarding cremation in different crematoria in the city with the chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and assured that all problems pertaining to cremation of the dead bodies have been sorted out in the 13 crematoria in the city.