In view of the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases, an additional facility of 200 beds for infected patients will be created at Infosys Sarai in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here.
The Administration on Friday decided to hand over Infosys Sarai to PGIMER for creating 200 additional beds for Covid patients. The Infosys Sarai will be utilized as Infectious Disease Hospital.
The decision was taken during the war room meeting held to review Covid-19 situation on Friday under Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.
Due to sudden surge in positive cases, most of the medical institutions have reached their occupancy. The positive cases stood at 7292 including 2606 active cases in the city.
At present, the NHE, PGIMER is a 200-bedded treatment facility for critical COVID patients. Another 30-bedded capacity was recently earmarked in the Advanced Paediatric Centre and 80-beds in NHE for COVID patients.
There were 270 COVID patients in PGIMER, out of which 81 belonged to Chandigarh, 78 to Punjab, 43 to Haryana and 19 to Himachal Pradesh on Friday. 52 mild patients were transferred to Nehru private ward.
Apart from this, the COVID patients are admitted Sector 48 hospital, GMCH-32, Dhanwantary Hospital, Sood Dharamshala, hostels of Panjab University, Sports Complex Sector 42, Community Centre Sector 47, Panchayat Bhawan, Sector 53 facility, Maloya centre among other COVID Care Centres. More than 1000 positive patients are also under home isolation in the city.
To ramp up testing in the city, the Administrator directed that 10,000 additional antigen kits may be procured.
Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary Health said that the people staying in containment zones will be first tested with antigen kits on priority. It was informed that 5,000 wellness kits comprising vitamins and medicines have been issued for distribution among home quarantined and COVID Care Centres in Chandigarh.
The PGIMER, which recently opened a plasma bank informed that 10 plasma units are ready with the institute, which can be given to any COVID patient, whenever needed. Weekend closure of Sukhna discontinued The weekend closure of the city’s prime tourist spot-Sukhna Lake has been discontinued by the UT Administration. The entry of visitors to Sukhna Lake on Saturdays and Sundays was banned on July 31 in view of violation of social distancing norms.
The decision to discontinue the ban was taken during the war room meeting.
At the meeting, the Administrator directed the police authorities to strictly enforce wearing of masks and social distancing.
Last week, restrictions including night curfew, odd-even system in markets etc were lifted in Chandigarh in line with Central Government’s unlock 4.0 guidelines.
Monitoring cell constituted A monitoring cell with mobile no. 9815704434 and landline- 0172-5000717 was set up by the Municipal Corporation to facilitate councillors for issues related to COVID-19 management.
The monitory cell has been set up on the instructions of the UT Administrator to improve coordination with the elected representatives in various wards of the city.
“The municipal councillors can call on these numbers and intimate critical cases, COVID positive cases, containment area requests and issueS related to coordination between hospitals for COVID patients’ admission, said an MCC officer.
The monitoring cell constituted in office of Commissioner, Municipal Corporation will forward these requests to Director, PGIMER, Director Health Services, GMSH-16 and Director Principal, GMCH, Sector-32, Sub Divisional Magistrates for further necessary action at their level, the officer added.