Andhra prepares for BF.7 challenge

VIJAYAWADA: After the Centre sounded an alert over Omicron sub-variant BF.7, the State health department made preparations and checked arrangements to handle any spike in Covid cases.The move came after Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held Covid review meet on Monday asking health officials to expedite Covid preparedness amid alarming rise in cases in several country.  The CM instructed officials to ensure testing facilities at village clinics and prepare Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to tackle Covid cases if need be.       

According to the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare J Nivas, the department is ready to handle any surge in cases with the number of Covid beds available across the State.“There are as many as 1,22,461 Covid beds available across the state. This includes over 34,000 oxygen beds, 8,594 ICU beds, 5,813 ventilator beds among others.”    

Speaking on the availability of oxygen, the department has readied 170 oxygen plants to support 24,419 oxygen beds, 105 power generators and 82 transformers for power backup. Moreover, 74 Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) storage tanks and 25 Cryogenic tanks have been purchased for the transportation and storage of Liquid Oxygen by the state government. In fact, the oxygen pipelines have been laid to support 24,419 oxygen beds.  

Over 55,000 D-type oxygen cylinders and 34,021 Oxygen concentrators have been procured to cater Covid patients. Meanwhile, adequate quantities of  sanitisers, masks, gloves, PPE kits and sufficient stocks of drugs and home isolation kits have been made available across districts. “We are well equipped with adequate manpower, Covid beds, drugs and oxygen. General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs) were appointed  on contract basis to serve the Covid patients during the first three waves, however, their services were stopped early this year.”