Special thrust must be laid on expanding and increasing the health infrastructure in the State to meet out any sharp surge in the cases of Covid-19. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said this while presiding over the review meeting of Covid-19 situation in Mandi and Kullu districts at Mandi today.Jai Ram Thakur said that work on Prefabricated Hospital at Bangrotu and Mother Child Hospital Mandi must be expedited and completed at the earliest so that oxygenated bed capacity in the district could be increased. He said that the Transport Department must ensure effective sanitization of buses and other public transport. He said the shopkeepers must also ensure to strictly follow ‘No Mask, No Service’ policy. He said that private bus operators must also be requested to properly sanitize their buses and also ensure plying buses without overcrowding.Chief Minister said that the district administration must also ensure that social functions such as marriages etc. strictly follow the maximum limit prescribed for such events. He said that action, if required could be taken against the violators. He said that district administration must also ensure that adequate arrangement are made to meet out the demand in case of any major surge in the cases. He said that people must be motivated to use face masks and hand sanitizers and also avoid overcrowding in public places. He said that effective regulation of devotees must also be ensured in temples and other religious places to avoid overcrowding.Jai Ram Thakur said that Kullu district being a major tourist place witness arrival of lakhs of tourists every year. He said that steps must be taken to ensure that all the tourists visiting the district strictly follow SoPs issued from time to time. He said that all the guidelines need to be followed and implemented strictly. He said that the Ayurveda Department must also provide ‘kada’ to the patients under home isolation, but they should be properly guided regarding proper consumption of ‘kada’. He said that proper sanitization drive must also be done in urban areas by the sanitary workers.
He directed the Police Department to ensure that no casualness be adopted by the tourists, particularly in tourist spots such as Manikaran, Kasol, Manali etc.Secretary Health Amitabh Awasthi said that the pace of vaccination must be increased as this was an effective tool of protection from the virus. He said that adequate doctors, para medical staff and equipment would be provided in all the hospitals of the district. He said that proper mechanism should be evolved to monitor the condition of patients under home isolation.Deputy Commissioner Mandi Rugved Thakur, while welcoming the Chief Minister in the meeting said that 1,33,878 total sample done in the district, active cases were 443 and positivity ratio was 8.25 percent and fatality rate 1.2 percent. He said that 51 per cent cases in the district were from urban areas. He said that 25 percent cases were from Mandi town alone. He said that 1,64,280 vaccine doses have been administered in the district till date. He said that district has total capacity of 583 bed capacity for the Covid-19 patients. He said that the district has 323 oxygenated bed capacity could be increased in BBMB Hospital Sundernagar, CHC Ratti, prefabricated hospital Bangrotu, Mother Child Hospital Sundernagar and Mother Child Hospital Mandi. Deputy Commissioner Kullu Dr. Richa Verma, while participating in the meeting virtually from Kullu, said that there has been sharp surge in the number of Covid cases in the district. She said that maximum deaths have been reported in the district due to Covid-19 and comorbidity. She said that 57,612 doses of vaccine have been administered in the district till date. She said that vaccine was being administered in the district in all the Government health institutions as well as one private health institutions. She said that strong and adequate infrastructure has been created in the district to cater the health needs of the patients. She said that effective mechanism has also been evolved to involve elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions to educate the people regarding home isolation. She said that home isolation mechanism has also been strengthened in the district.MLA Drang Jawahar Thakur, Chairman Zila Parishad Pal Verma, Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri, ADM Sharawan Manta, Principal Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Ner Chowk Dr. R.C. Thakur, Chief Medical Officer Mandi Dr. Devender Thakur and other district officers attended the meeting.