Jharkhand CM inaugurates hospital, puts stress on curbing Covid spread in rural belt

RANCHI/RAMGARH: In its bid to ramp up detection of Covid-19 infections in rural areas, chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday announced a host of measures and said Anganwadi workers will now be equipped with rapid antigen test (RAT) kits and pulse oximeters to test the villagers.
Soren made the announcement while inaugurating an 80-bed Covid hospital in Ramgarh online from his official residence in Ranchi. He further said the government will provide medical kits to patients in rural areas and timber for free to cremate Covid-19 victims.
He said, "Anganwadi workers will visit villages of their jurisdiction and conduct antigen tests on the rural populace. We are also setting up Covid-19 care centres in rural areas where positive patients can be isolated and monitored.”
Underscoring that his government’s focus has shifted to minimize the pandemic’s spread in the rural areas, Soren said orders have been placed for 45 lakh RAT kits with the Centre to ramp up testing in blocks and panchayat areas.
“Lack of awareness is a major challenge in rural areas. To overcome it, all deputy commissioners have been directed to ensure that mukhiyas are vaccinated on priority so that the reservations against the vaccination drive in rural parts can be removed,” he added.
In a recent order, the state department of health, medical education and family welfare directed all district administrations to commission PSA oxygen plants at their sadar hospitals. Now, two oxygen equipped ambulances will be deployed in each block to ferry critically ill Covid-19 patients to the nearest hospitals.
“Anganwadi sevikas will also be given pulse oximeters to check oxygen levels of the patients. Additionally, have also prepared a plan to distribute five lakh medical kits for Covid-19 patients in the rural areas,” Soren said.
Soren also informed Hazaribag MP Jayant Sinha and Mandu MLA J P Patel after inaugurating that free timber will be provided at the burning ghats.
He said, "For the convenience of people, we are deputing earth moving machines at graveyards and burial grounds. An order has been issued stating that no one will be charged for conducting the last rites of their deceased.”
The hospital, equipped with a central oxygen supply system, was set up by the Tata Steel Foundation in the DAV School building at Ghatotand in Mandu block of Ramgarh district.