East Godavari district authorities have chalked out an action plan to set up a 300-bedded temporary hospital in Rajamahendravaram city to meet the requirement of additional beds for COVID-19 treatment.
The decision was taken in the backdrop of denotifying many private hospitals that were designated as COVID hospitals in the city.
“A decision has been taken to set up a temporary 300-bedded hospital in Rajamahendravaram city. Oxygen production would soon commence on the Andhra Paper Mill campus,” East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said at a press conference.
Authorities have also finalised talks with an oxygen production firm in Peddapuram to produce oxygen and its daily production capacity will be sufficient to fill 480 cylinders daily.
“The requirement of medical oxygen for private hospitals in Rajamahendravaram will be met from the Peddapuram unit within a week,” Mr. Muralidhar Reddy said.
The district’s daily need of oxygen is 156 kilolitres.
On the vaccination drive, Mr. Muralidhar Reddy said that at least one lakh people have been waiting for the second dose of vaccine and immediate priority would be given to them as a majority of them have taken the jab 60 days ago.
“We have been directed by the State government to provide the second dose to individuals on a war-footing instead of covering those seeking the first dose,” Mr. Muralidhar said.
Admitting that the district authorities have been facing challenges in ensuring a robust health infrastructure, he appealed to the media to cooperate with the government in tackling the challenges to minimise the COVID-19 death toll and improve the recovery rate.
