VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered immediate filling up of all vacancies in the health department so as to cope with the Corona spread. He has also advised officials to provide beds to Covid-19 patients within three hours.
He asked officials to hold walk-in interviews to fill the vacancies in health department and complete the recruitment in 48 hours.
Jagan held a Spandana review meeting with district collectors and SPs on the Covid-19 situation on Tuesday. He said there must be effective working of 104 call centers to offer medical services to Corona patients and that the district joint collectors should personally monitor all Covid hospitals in their spheres.
“Set up adequate Covid care centres,” the CM told officials, adding the collectors should ensure all the facilities in these centers and there should be no scarcity of beds.
The officials informed him that 59 such centers are functional in the state with a total bed strength of 33,327.
The CM asked officials to take strict action against anyone spreading rumours. An official bulletin will be released every day and everyone should depend on the same data vis-à-vis Covid situation in the state.
Jagan asked district collectors and SPs to be on high alert in coming months in view of the rapid spread of the second wave. “If the government loses one rupee due to the lockdown, the common man will lose Rs4. The lockdown had cost the government Rs 20,000 crore in 2020, which means a loss of about Rs 80,000 crore to the people.”
On oxygen supply, the chief minister said 320 to 340 metric tonnes of oxygen is being supplied every day to state hospitals, and this is adequate at present.
“Those with SPO2 level less than 94 should be provided with oxygen,” the CM noted.
Jagan said permission will be granted to only 50 people for marriages and officials must ensure people do not gather at gyms, parks and swimming pools. All the financial and commercial activities should continue but by adhering to Covid protocols, he said.
The chief minister said seven crore vaccine doses are being manufactured in the country per month, of which one crore was of Covaxin and the remaining the Covishield. Vaccination of two doses is completed for 11.30 lakh people and single dose for 45.48 lakh people in the state, all of age above 45. Vaccination will also be given to people above 18-45 years.
Jagan said district collectors should oversee the functioning of the 104 call center and ensure effective functioning. The 104 number should be registered in the minds of the people as a one-stop solution for all issues related to Covid.
He said beds should be arranged to Covid patients within three hours of calling the 104 center and adequate number of doctors should be available for each of these call centers.
On beds in hospitals, the Chief Minister said collectors have identified a total of 355 hospitals across districts for treatment of Covid with a bed capacity of 28,377 in which 17,901 beds are occupied.
Treatment in these hospitals is completely free and medicines and health care will be extended to patients free of cost.
The Chief Minister said Joint Collector (Village/Ward Secretariat development) should completely focus on tackling the Covid situation in the districts. “The joint collector should ensure good sanitation facilities, quality food supply, availability of doctors and paramedical staff, setting up of help desks etc. They should monitor the performance of Aarogya Mitras through CCTV cameras. They should also coordinate with call centres and ensure all works are done on time.”
The chief minister said Covid hospitals at district level should be divided into clusters and in-charges should be appointed for them. District-level Flying Squads should be set up by also including the medicine regulatory department officials in it.
