Amid the reports of black marketing of medicines, oxygen and other essential supplies in the State, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to take strict action against those who are found guilty of indulging in black marketing during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The CM conducted a whirlwind tour of four districts to take stock of health arrangements made to tackle the situation. Till Thursday evening, he visited Ambala, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Jind districts.
Earlier on Monday, he had visited four districts namely Panipat, Hisar, Rohtak and Faridabad to take stock of oxygen supply and bed capacity in the state. During his Thursday’s visit, the Chief Minister inspected the Oxygen plant at Ambala and inaugurated 30 new ICU beds at Kalpana Chawla Medical College in Karnal.
At Ambala, he directed the real time data with regard to arrangements of general beds, oxygen beds, ventilators in hospitals should be updated daily so people are aware of the actual condition of bed and ventilator etc in the hospitals.
The Chief Minister directed the officers that whatever arrangements have been made for Covid-19 should not be suppressed and every possible effort should be made to save the lives of critical Covid patients.
He also directed that there should be no black marketing of oximeter, digital thermometer, oxygen cylinder, medicines, food items etc. and people should get it at a reasonable price.
It was informed that there are 960 beds and 119 ICUs in Ambala district and Oxygen Generation Plant has been set up in the Civil Hospital, Ambala city so that 100 oxygen cylinders are filled every day.
In Jind district, the Chief Minister inspected the civil hospital, vaccination centre, blood bank and laboratory and also reviewed the availability of stock and other arrangements.
Khattar was apprized that 126 cylinders have been seized during 22 raids conducted to curb black marketing of oxygen cylinders and other essentials in Jind district. It was also informed that the number of beds at the Gangaputra hospital will be increased from 100 to 300 in Jind.
In Karnal, the CM after taking stock of the arrangements, inaugurated 30 new ICU beds in Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College.
While interacting with mediapersons in Karnal, the Chief Minister said that now such a system has been made at the state level that the small private hospitals which registers itself with Civil Surgeon’s Office will be able to treat the patient suffering from Covid-19.
Responding to a query on surge in number of patients in hospitals, he said that the number of patients has increased due to Covidpatients coming from Delhi, especially in the districts of NCR and GT road. He said that the footfall of patients has also increased in Karnal because patients are coming from Delhi and also from other districts of the state. The CM also said the administration has been asked to increase surveillance to ensure that there is no black marketing of oxygen and other essential supplies. In response to a question about Remdesivir injection, the Chief Minister said that there is no shortage of Remedesivir injection and other medicines.
Later, the CM reached Yamunanagar and took stock of the arrangements there.
HARYANA HEALTH MINISTER DIRECTS TO PREPARE COVID TEST REPORT IN 24 HOURS
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday directed the officers of the Health Department to ensure that all functional government and private laboratories in the state prepare COVID-19 test report within 24 hours of collecting the samples. He also directed that a 400-bedded hospital should be started as soon as possible in SGT Gurugram.
Presiding over a meeting of the State Level Covid Monitoring Committee and Crisis Co-ordination Committee here, Vij said that for the hospitals to be operated in Hisar and Panipat for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, the services of doctors and para-medical staff working in ESI hospitals and dispensaries of the state should be taken. In this time of crisis, the services of the IMA should also be considered. For this, honorarium and insurance protection can also be provided to them by the Government, Vij said.
He also directed that keeping in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases, Section-144 and night curfew should be strictly enforced and public places like parks, gyms, bars should be closed. The Health Minister further said that many private hospitals who are treating corona patients have not got themselves registered with the government, however, they are asking for medical oxygen from the government.
In such a situation, the Government is facing difficulty in giving medical oxygen supply to the Corona infected patients admitted in these hospitals. Therefore, the private hospitals must get their registration done with the District Administration, he added.
