Govt. thinking of offering free treatment for black fungus patients, says Savadi

May 24, 2021 06:33 pm | Updated 06:33 pm IST - KALABURAGI

Taking note of the increasing cases of black fungus infection and the expensive treatment involved, Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi has said that the government was thinking of offering free treatment to patients from economically weaker sections of society.

“The treatment includes 45 injections and 45 days of hospitalisation. It requires a lot of money and poorer sections of society cannot afford it. We are thinking of offering free treatment to poor patients and we will shortly take a decision after discussing it with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa,” he said, during his interaction with mediapersons in Koppal on Monday.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Transport portfolio, flagged off oxygen bus services for COVID-19 patients.

“The idea of oxygen bus services is meant to provide oxygen to patients in need. Buses that have to be scrapped as they have completed 9 lakh km of running are being converted into oxygen buses. When hospitals run out of oxygen beds due to a heavy rush of patients, these buses will serve as mobile hospitals with oxygen facility. An oxygen bus can house five oxygen beds and a ventilator. A doctor and a nursing staff will also be available on the bus,” Mr. Savadi said, after inaugurating the service.

Mr. Savadi directed Koppal Deputy Commissioner Vikas Kishor Suralkar and NEKRTC Koppal Controller M.A. Mulla to utilise MLA LAD Funds to convert such scrapped RTC buses into oxygen buses in the district and station one bus in each taluk.

“We have planned to develop 100 oxygen buses in the State and provide them to all the districts and bigger taluks in the days to come. All the State-owned Road Transport Corporations operating under the Department of Transport are identifying buses that can be scrapped and converting them into oxygen buses,” he said.

Lok Sabha Member from Koppal Karadi Sanganna, legislators K. Raghavendra Hitnal, Paranna Munavalli, Halappa Achar and Basavaraj Dhadesugur, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Raghunandan Murthy and Superintendent of Police T. Shridhar and others were present.

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