Puducherry, May 27 (IANS): Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Sounderarajan in a statement said that a new programme called, "Covid Free Villages" will be launched in Puducherry and Karaikal on Friday for complete vaccination in villages.
She said that there is a declining trend of Covid-19 cases in the Union Territory and added that efforts are being made to reduce the death rate also.
The Lt Governor in the statement said the number of oxygen supported beds have been increased with the addition of 2000 oxygen beds. Four hundred additional beds have been set up at the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and the Post Graduate Institute.
She said that a new programme called "Oxygen Sisters" has been introduced in Puducherry which will monitor patients undergoing treatment at hospitals every hour with the help of oximeters to assess their oxygen levels. This would give confidence to the patients undergoing treatment.
The Lt Governor said that the Karaikal administration is providing pulse oximeters to the home quarantined Covid patients free of cost. She said that the patients must return them to the administration after use.
A new programme named "Pahirvoma" was launched to provide psychological counselling to patients in home quarantine. The programme is being held in consultation with the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services and the Department of Social Work. The University of Pondicherry provides tele medicine facility for patients.
The Lt Governor said she had held discussions with Chief Minister N Rangasamy to develop a scheme to provide assistance to the families of government employees and journalists who have fallen victim to Covid-19. She said the scheme would be rolled out soon.
She added that the MLAs should take initiatives to conduct total vaccination in their constituencies with special emphasis on the rural areas. She asked the MLAs to set up Covid care facilities in their constituencies.
The Lt Governor thanked the business community of Puducherry for having joined hands with the administration for "Uyir Katru", the Covid fund raising programme of the Department of Health.