Preparing the State for a possible third wave of the pandemic which is expected to affect the children, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday virtually inaugurated a 50-bed Paediatric Covid Care Ward, set up at CMC Hospital, Ludhiana, as a partnership initiative between the hospital and the Police Public Foundation (PPF).
On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed, in the Chief Minister’s presence, for setting up two Oxygen plants in the district, for which 20 industries have donated Rs 1.2 crore.
The two plants will become functional at CMC Ludhiana and Krishna Charitable Hospital within six to eight weeks, according to CII past president Rahul Ahuja, who signed the MoU on behalf of the industry with the two hospitals. Under the agreement, 20 percent of Oxygen treatment will be subsidised for poor patients.
Terming the collaborative initiatives of the State’s industry and the civil society, as well as police, as wonderful gestures, the Chief Minister said that the pandemic was a major challenge and the State had to be prepared for the worst. “Though nobody knows yet if there will be a third wave in India, Punjab is making all efforts to gear up for another possible surge, which could affect the children more,” he added.
At the same time, Capt Amarinder urged the industry to motivate their employees to get vaccinated for their own protection and that of all Punjabis. “Though the cases had declined to 2184 as of June 1, it is not possible to ascertain how long the crisis will continue,” he said, asserting, however, that Punjab will win and come out of this.