Effective measures are afoot for prevention, treatment and mitigation of second surge of COVID-19 pandemic, assured Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan after the review meeting held here today to assess COVID surge management.We are constantly monitoring the availability of oxygen in each of the hospitals having dedicated COVID care blocks/beds. As of now there is sufficient Oxygen available with each of the hospitals for COVID and non- COVID patients. However, “some hospitals flagged the need for portable cylinders for patients to be taken for scanning/tests which has been successfully resolved,” informed the Deputy Commissioner. He reassured people that there is no reason to panic as requirement and utilization of every litre of medical oxygen gas in the district is being closely monitored.Refuting the need for oxygen cylinders for patients in Home Isolation, Dayalan said, “self- medication is not recommended; if fall in oxygen level is observed, the patient must without delay be hospitalized.” Moreover, home supply of oxygen cylinders may lead to hoarding of the cylinders, he added. Talking of a message being circulated on social media wherein Hitech Industries Limited, Mohali is offering to supply medical oxygen gas free to all needy who are in isolation, Deputy Commissioner informed that it has been taken up with the Company and they have informed that it is an old message and the Company as of now is not extending or supporting any supply of oxygen to patients in home isolation.Keeping in view the high number of cases and large number of L2/L3 facilities, the Deputy Commissioner made an appeal to Nursing Colleges to provide nursing students/ interns to assist in COVID-19 care/ testing and vaccination. He said that many private hospitals in the district have dedicated 50 to 75% of their health infrastructure to COVID care whereby they require additional manpower- doctors, nurses, and paramedics to cope up with the pressure of increased number of beds kept for COVID patients. This calls for support from nursing students who can work, learn and earn by rendering services to these hospitals. So, all the nursing students desirous of assisting in COVID care may through the head of their Institution covey their consent to the district administration.