VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has suggested that a committee be set up to study Covid-19 situation and its handling in different states of the country, so that best practices could be utilised in dealing with Coronavirus within AP in the coming days.
Presiding over a review meeting on Covid-19 prevention, control and vaccination here on Wednesday, he asked officials to pay special attention towards maintenance of oxygen concentrators, D-type cylinders and oxygen generation plants. He wanted a separate unit to be established for this purpose within APMSIDC (Andhra Pradesh Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation). If required, diploma courses could be started related to oxygen plant management and allied disciplines, so that necessary expertise is created.
The Chief Minister wanted new staff recruited for maintenance of Covid equipment and ensuring continuous oxygen supply based on number of hospitals in a district. He directed officials to take measures for setting up oxygen generation plants in 100-bed private hospitals to start with, before creating these facilities at other hospitals. He pointed out that the state government is providing 30 percent subsidy for establishing oxygen generation plants at private hospitals. If required, the government could extend concessional power tariff too.
Jagan Mohan Reddy wanted teachers to be vaccinated on a priority basis, as physical classes are scheduled to start in the near future. Officials informed the CM that 43,38,000 doses of vaccines had been allotted to private hospitals during May, June and July, but they have utilised only 5,24,347 doses. Following this, the Chief Minister asked officials to write another letter to central government seeking re-allocation of unused doses by private hospitals to the state government, so that vaccination process could be expedited.
Officials said there are currently 20,965 active cases in the state with daily positivity rate of 2.51 percent and recovery rate 98.25 percent. They said positivity rate is less than three percent in nine districts, less than five percent in three districts and more than five percent in one district. 4,426 patients are being treated in hospitals while 2,349 people are in COVID care centres. Almost 94.43 percent of patients in network hospitals and 75.25 percent of patients in private hospitals are being treated under Aarogyasri.
The state government has so far administered 2,04,17,764 doses of vaccine. 50,46,531 people have got both doses and 1,03,24,702 have received only first dose.
Deputy Chief Minister Alla Krishna Srinivas, DGP Goutam Sawang, State Covid Command and Control chairman Dr K.S. Jawahar Reddy, principal secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal, COVID Task Force Committee chairman M. T. Krishna Babu, intelligence chief K V. Rajendranath Reddy, 104 call centre in-charge A. Babu, and health commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar were among those who attended the review meeting.
