Chanda may hit Covid peak by September end: Wadettiwar

CHANDRAPUR: Highlighting the alarming rate of increase of Covid-19 cases in the district, Chandrapur guardian minister Vijay Wadettiwar warned that the tally of cases was likely to reach 20,000 by the end of September.
In a statement issued on social media, the state minister for disaster management said the district was likely to hit its peak of Covid-19 cases by the end of this month end, fearing there could be around 8,000 untested positive patients by then. He instructed the health authorities to be very vigilant and improve the health facilities for patients.
Wadettiwar directed them to build 100-bed Covid hospitals — 50-bed ICU and 50 oxygen-equipped beds — in Bhadrawati, Warora, Rajura, Bramhapuri and Ballarpur towns. He said the district administration had already been directed to start a 100-bed Covid hospital at Women’s Hospital in city, and ordered to build a 1000-bed temporary Covid hospital to ensure there is no shortage of beds for Covid patients.
He admitted that there was a shortage of doctors and paramedics to handle Covid cases and said the administration would recruit 20 physicians through outsourcing.
He added that state government had provided Rs41 crore to handle Covid cases and Rs8 crore was allocated by the disaster management ministry. Apart from that, 33% and 25% grants from the district development and mineral development funds, respectively, was reserved for the pandemic.
In a meeting with officials, Wadettiwar warned of stringent action against the doctors who refuse their services for Covid-19, under the Disaster Management Act. He said two oxygen generation plants were being raised in Chandrapur to ensure no Covid patient faces shortage of oxygen. Five small scale plants would be built at different tehsil headquarters, he added.