Announce action plan post May 3 deadline, Ashok Gehlot tells Centre

TNN | Updated: Apr 22, 2020, 07:56 IST

JAIPUR: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday demanded that the Centre should announce its plan of action in advance post the May 3 extended lockdown deadline to help the state ready its strategy for the period ahead.
While interacting with the media on Tuesday, the CM found fault with the Centre for announcing the lockdown without taking the states into confidence. He said the lockdown was announced on March 24 without consulting states, causing immense hardship to people and reducing the efficacy of fighting the coronavirus.
He said the state government has decided to launch mobile OPD vans shortly in rural and urban areas to attend to patients with illness other than Covid-19.
With government hospitals in the state converted to dedicated hospitals to treat corona cases, the private hospitals should serve regular patients, he said, pointing to complaints received of private hospitals turning back such patients. He also announced that auxiliary and general nurses would be appointed shortly to overcome staff shortage.
The chief minister said the state government plans to expand virus testing to delivery boys, milkmen, vegetable vendors and people running general stores.