Haryana Government on Wednesday announced medical assistance for below poverty line (BPL) families for getting COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals.
The Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, while addressing a digital press conference here, announced that the State Government will provide assistance of Rs 5,000 per patient per day (maximum 7 days) i.e. Rs 35,000 to the patients belonging to BPL who are admitted in private hospitals and are on oxygen or ICU support.
The private hospitals would also be given an incentive of Rs 1,000 per patient per day or up to a maximum of Rs 7,000, for giving admission preference to COVID-19 patients belonging to Haryana. Thereby for BPL patients an amount of Rs 42,000 will be provided by the State Government as medical assistance, he said.
The Chief Minister said that the rates of beds and other facilities have been fixed for COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment in private hospitals of the state. Currently, 42 private hospitals in the state are treating COVID patients.
On unprecedented surge in COVID cases in Haryana, the Chief Minister said that experts have predicted that the cases could peak by May 15 after which downward trend of cases will begin in the state.
He informed that presently, 8566 Corona patients are on oxygen support, while 3828 patients are on ventilator support or are admitted in ICU in various medical colleges, government and private hospitals across the state.
Commenting on the shortage of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab in Haryana, he said that the state has demanded 20,000 injections of Remdesivir from the Central Government, out of which 12,700 have been received. Besides this, 160 Tocilizumab injections have been received out of which 80 injections each have been allocated to private and government hospitals.
When asked about the shortage of oxygen supply in hospitals, Khattar said that around 232 MT of oxygen is coming daily in Haryana from five different places including Rourkela, Jamshedpur, Panipat, Hisar, and Roorkee. The state’s allocated quota is 257 MT per day.
The state is facing some problems in transportation of oxygen from Orissa. We are working on the logistics to get the allocated supply from there, he said.
Strict directions have been issued to industrial plants to supply Oxygen Gas in the Hospitals, as a result of which the supply of Oxygen Gas in cylinders has been started from a total of 22 plants located in 13 districts, he added.
Responding to opposition demand of calling an all-party meeting, Khattar while coming down heavily on Congress state president Kumari Selja said the Congress is indulging in petty politics even in this hour of crisis.
When asked about BJP leaders and workers violating prohibitory orders for holding protests in Haryana, the Chief Minister said that the protests were held against the violence done by TMC workers in West Bengal. Such violent incidents are unacceptable and there is no place for such violent acts in our democracy. The BJP protest was held today in the state and I have asked the party leaders to follow the protocol, he said.
SPECIAL SCREENING CAMPS IN RURAL AREAS
The Chief Minister said that since in rural areas the virus is spreading its wings therefore directions have been given to the officers concerned to set up a screening camp in each village so that anyone having COVID-19 symptoms can be detected early and further, the possibility of infection spread can be prevented.
DISTRESS RATION TOKENS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN STATE
Khattar said that like last year, this time too all the needy and poor families residing in Haryana would get free of cost wheat at 5 kg per member of a family. Like last year this time too, the social organizations and NGOs have been urged to come forward for the distribution of this free ration at the doorsteps of every poor family. Besides this, all the BPL and other cardholders would also be getting free ration, he said.