Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the video conference with the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Chief Medical Officers, Principals and Medical Superintendents of various Government Medical Colleges of the State from Shimla today expressed concern over the increase in number of Covid cases as well as deaths of Covid-19 patients during a last few days in the State.
Chief Minister said that more stress must be laid on contact tracing of the infected persons so that immediate preventive steps must be taken. He said that the doctors must ensure proper treatment to the patients especially the patients with co-morbid illness. He said that it has been felt the change in climate is also resulting in fast spread of the virus. He said that senior doctors must ensure at least three rounds of the wards of Covid patients to instill confidence in the patients. He said that proper protocol must be adopted for treatment of the asymptotic patients under home isolation. He said that adequate arrangement of pulse oxymeter must be made for these patients so that they could regularly monitor oxygen level in blood.
Chief Minister said that it has also been felt that casual approach of people and laxity in adhering to the laid down SOPs was major reason of spread of the virus. He said that social gatherings were attributing maximum to the increase in Covid cases in the State. He said that gathering of large number of people in social functions in a closed environment like marriage halls and community centres was resulting in increase in the number of Corona cases. He said that greater focus must be laid on IEC to sensitize the people regarding greater chances of getting infected in social gathering such as marriages and dhams. He said that an organised IEC campaign must be launched throughout the State to sensitize the people regarding the virus.
Jai Ram Thakur said that bed capacity of all the Covid Hospitals and Covid Care Centres must be increased to meet out the requirement in case of sudden spike in the number of Covid patients. He said that more ambulances with oxygen cylinder must also be deployed to facilitate the prompt transportation of critical patients from Home Isolation to Covid care centres or Covid hospitals.
Chief Minister said that prefabricated Covid Care Centres with adequate bed facilities were being set up at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Shimla, Dr. Rajender Prasad Govt. Medical College Tanda, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Ner Chowk and at Nalagarah to meet out the demand in case of increase in number of Covid patients.
Health Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal said that community participation must be ensured to check spread of this virus. He said that IEC was vital for sensitizing the people to cooperate with the Government to check this virus. He said that NGOs must also be involved to sensitize the people to adopt proper hygiene such as use of face mask, wash hands with soap and avoid social gatherings.
Chief Secretray Anil Khachi also felt the need for adopting a humane approach towards the covid patients.
Secretary Health Amitabh Awasthi welcomed the Chief Minister and other officers present on the occasion. He said that need was to prepare special district plans to find out the cause of increase number of Covid cases in Mandi and Shimla district in particular.
Additional Chief Seretary Revenue R.D.Dhiman, Secretray Devesh Kumar, Director Health Services Dr BB Katoch and other officers attended the meeting.
