The Kochi Corporation is gearing up to handle the challenge posed by yet another potential wave of the pandemic as cases continue to surge across the State.
The civic body is set to convene a meeting of all stakeholders, including the District Medical Officer, to take stock of the prevailing situation.
“Our immediate priority will be to cover the rest of the citizens yet to get both doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Also, the advantage this time, unlike during the second wave last year, is that we already have a system, and it just needs to be reactivated. Besides, the councillors are also better prepared unlike last time when many first-time councillors were at sea about dealing with the situation,” said Mayor M. Anilkumar.
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The civic body is set to introduce ward-level meetings and intensify monthly meetings, including that of the health standing committee, to deal with the emerging situation. Mr. Anilkumar hoped that unlike last time, the stress laid on the health care system, including demand for hospital beds, would be far too less considering the vaccination coverage.
However, challenges remain, as the civic body has disbanded the facilities it had set up for treating COVID-19 patients during the second wave. The corporation had set up temporary facilities at Samudrika Hall at the Cochin Port Trust last time, and it will be hard to reinstate them now.
“We have a field hospital complete with oxygen beds at Amabalamugal that can be scaled up for potential requirements, though we don’t foresee stress on the health care system. We also don’t expect shortage of oxygen, thanks to association with the public sector Kochi Refineries for conversion of industrial oxygen into medical oxygen,” said Mr. Anilkumar.
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The civic body remains confident of reactivating its band of volunteers and door delivery of food with the help of its budget hostel Samrudhi.