Gandhinagar, May 17 (IANS): Looking at the severe cyclonic storm Tauktae, which is about to hit Gujarat in the evening, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday announced that the state government had procured 3 days supply of Remdesivir injections and dispatched it to the covid hospitals on the coastal areas in the state.
Amid the looming threat of the severe cyclonic storm about to hit Gujarat in a few hours from now, the state of Gujarat is also fighting the second surge of the global pandemic. CM Vijay Rupani held a high-level review meeting with all the district collectors via video conferencing at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Gandhinagar on Monday for the possible landfall of the cyclonic storm.
"Extraordinary circumstances have occurred right now, where on the one hand we are fighting against the second wave of Covid-19 and on the other, we have the threat of a cyclonic storm about to hit the state. In these extreme conditions for all those who are availing treatment at covid hospitals, we have ensured an adequate supply of oxygen and power. Yesterday, we have had sent three days supply of the much sought injections Remdesivir to all the hospitals on coastal regions.
"The requirement of oxygen in the state right now is a thousand tonnes against which we have ensured availability of 1700 tonnes, looking at the next 2 days. We are planning in detail and planning in advance regarding the cyclonic threat at covid hospitals," Rupani told reporters after the meeting.
"We have more than 1,400 hospitals in the state, all the hospitals have been instructed to have power backup in case of failures. The diesel required for the generators for 3 days have also been stored. We have facilitated power generators and alternative arrangements in 1428 covid hospitals in the state," the CM added.
"744 teams from the health department, 160 'ICU on Wheels' and 607 ambulances of the 108 services are there on the alert to tackle the crisis," said the CM.
"All the people residing from 0 to 10 kilometres belt area on the shore lines of Saurashtra, Kutch as well as South Gujarat have been evacuated to safer places. Around 1.5 lakh people totally have been shifted. We request once again to all the people of coastal regions not to venture outside and shift to a safer place if living in temporary structures and co-operate with the administration. We are working with 'Zero Casualty' approach with regards to the cyclone," added the CM
Right now there are over 35 cities in the state where the night curfew has been imposed. "Regarding the curfew imposed in the cities of the state for covid-19, we are having another review meeting in the evening where we will decide on what shall be done," the Gujarat CM told mediapersons.
The Chief Minister also said that the central government had assured full cooperation and support to the state. "We are constantly guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister Amit Shah regarding the looming threat of Tauktae. The Indian Air Force, the Navy, the Army have been told and instructed... We have had full support and assurance from the central government," the CM said.
The Chief Minister also informed that there was not a single fisherman from the state who was out into the sea and each of them have been safely called back.
Cyclone Tauktae, gathering momentum and approaching the state of Gujarat, is right now around 180 kilometres away from the southernmost tip of Saurashtra in Gujarat. It is likely to hit anywhere on the coast of Saurashtra region, most probably Mahua near Bhavnagar between 8 pm and 10 pm.