From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 20: Deputy chief minister and state Covid Task Force chief Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on Thursday said the state government was systematically upgrading health infrastructure by increasing the number of ICU beds and ensuring oxygen generation plants in all district hospitals.
Dr Narayan, who visited Mandya district, said the state government has taken steps to increase the ICU beds and establish oxygen generation plants in government hospitals throughout Mandya district as part of the upgradation of health infrastructure.
Speaking to the reporters during his visit to the Maddur taluk hospital and Budanur Primary Health Centre to inspect the Covid-19 management, he said the requirements with regard to health facilities would be considered as a priority by the government.
He interacted with the medical personnel in charge of the Covid management in the Centre and suggested keeping at least a stock of 100 RAT kits, an adequate quantity of drugs, and other medical consumables.
Later, he visited the Mandya Institute of Medical science and inspected Covid positive ICU patient ward and the regular Covid ward wearing a PPE kit.
Dr Narayan, who is himself a medical doctor, also spoke to patients undergoing treatment about the facilities being provided to them and instructed the medical staff to work towards ensuring better medical care for the patients and provide a minimum of 50 internees for the Covid management.
The number of Covid Care Centers (CCCs) needs to be increased by four times the existing number as it has been decided not to allow home isolation in rural and urban slums. District administration should ensure mandatory admission of infected into the CCCs, he said.
There is a demand for increasing ICU beds in the district and this will be fulfilled at the earliest. The medical college hospital authorities have been asked to improve the quality of care.
Oxygen generation plants will be set up in taluk hospitals, community health centres and PHCs with the objective of providing 18KL oxygen per day and MANMUL has come forward to set up an oxygen generation plant, he informed.
He advised home survey and testing at the doorstep needs to be focused to identify and confirm the results of symptomatic cases
For this, each village panchayat should be provided with a vehicle facility and should be done by deploying Asha and Anganwadi workers.
There are a few instances where RAT and RT-PCR tests yield negative results even though such persons have symptoms. Such cases need to be subjected to CT scan and district administration should ensure this test is done. All these tests are done free of cost in government hospitals, Dr Narayan emphasized.
To a query about the relief package announced by the state government, he said all the sections of people were being given justice despite the financial constraints.
The deputy chief minister said vaccine productions would be enhanced by August and expressed hope that the entire population would be vaccinated by coming December.
Dr KC Narayan Gowda, minister for youth empowerment and sports, C P Umesh, president, Mandya DCC Bank, Mandya deputy commissioner, Ashwathi and others were present.