Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday directed officials to make COVID-19 hospitals with more than 50 beds self-sufficient in terms of oxygen stock, in the next four months.
Addressing a review meeting on the pandemic situation, Mr. Jagan said the move was important in the wake of predictions that the State’s oxygen requirement would increase in the days to come and the imminent threat of the third wave, which could target children.
Calling for a dedicated oxygen generator in every hospital, Mr. Jagan said the hospitals should produce oxygen at least to the extent of meeting their own requirements.
He said the State would install such facilities in government hospitals and it would offer attractive incentives or subsidies to encourage managements of private hospitals to follow suit. “We cannot afford to depend on external sources for our survival. We should think of ways to become self-sufficient,” he emphasised.
Pointing to the fact that experts had been voicing concern over the third wave’s likely impact on children and that the unavailability of vaccines for this age group was only adding to the problem, the Chief Minister asked the health authorities to ramp up facilities for children with a focus on paediatric ICU facilities.
Health scheme
Mr. Jagan said the government was providing free treatment to 77% of the people infected by COVID and those suffering from black fungus, under YSR Aarogyasri scheme. Of the 38,763 people who were being treated in the State, 28,189 were receiving treatment under Aarogyasri.
The officials informed the Chief Minister about the measures taken to control the impact of black fungus. An expert committee was formed to monitor, allocate and advise on the drugs and other facilities and orders had been placed for all the drugs prescribed by the doctors to ensure that there was no shortage in the future. Seventeen hospitals had been identified in the State for treatment of black fungus, based on the availability of the expertise, they said.
104 Service
The total number of calls received till date (since April 16th) are 3,86,407.
Doctors are making at least 30,000 outbound calls everyday to people in home isolation. This not only gives them the medical guidance they need but also helps in the process of reducing crowds at the hospitals, as people are feeling assured after speaking to a doctor.