Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday directed all the Deputy Commissioners to increase the number of testing in their respective districts.
He also asked them to follow the strategy of testing, tracing and treatment with effective surveillance through micro containment zones.
The Chief Minister held a virtual meeting with the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendent of Police, Chief Medical Officers, Principals and Medial Superintendents of all the Medical Colleges to review the situation, keeping in view the sharp surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.
He said that the State Health department must ensure minimum wastage in COVID-19 vaccination as the nation and state cannot afford this.
The State Government had almost reached the target of enhancing the bed capacity for the COVID-19 patients to 3000 and efforts are on to increase the same to about 5000 to meet out any emergent situation. There is no scarcity of medicines, medical inputs and oxygen in the state, he said.
The Chief Minister said that as a precautionary measure, the State Government had requisitioned 3000 additional D-Type oxygen cylinders for ensuring that there is no shortage of empty cylinders.
He further said that senior doctors must regularly visit the COVID wards to enquire about the health of admitted patients.
The home isolation system must also be strengthened and Asha workers, Anganwari Workers, NGOs, Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals etc. must be motivated to help the patients in home isolation by keeping in touch with their family members, he said.
The Chief Minister also urged the elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies to keep an eye on the patients in home isolation besides ensuring that the persons visiting the state are strictly following the SoPs issued by the State Government from time to time.
About COVID-19 vaccination drive, Thakur said that as many as 15.21 lakh doses of vaccines had been administered to the people in the state till date and efforts must be made to speed up the vaccination drive.
The case recovery rate in the state is 83 percent whereas case fatality rate is 1.50 percent. Efforts must be made to minimize the fatality rate by timely treating the patients, he added.
During the meeting, Health Minister Dr Rajiv Saizal said that doctors, nurses and other para medical staff of AYUSH department must be requisitioned by the Health Department to provide better health services to the people as they are trained in modern system of medicines also.
HIMACHAL T O SUPPLY OXYGEN TO DELHI
On the request of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has agreed to arrange emergency supplies of oxygen from the hill state to the national capital.
With the number of critical COVID patients increasing rapidly, the National Capital Region is facing acute shortage of medical oxygen.
In a letter written to his counterpart in New Delhi, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the state of Himachal Pradesh is highly concerned about the situation emerging in New Delhi and would be more than happy to extend all possible help to Delhi Government.
He said that the officers of New Delhi Government may contact Additional Director of Industries for arranging the supplies of oxygen from the state.
Following the development, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed his gratitude towards the Government of Himachal Pradesh for their generosity.