As many as 25 oxygen concentrators will be provided to each district with more COVID-19 cases, said Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar here on Thursday.
Speaking to the media, the Minister said that State has received 800 concentrators recently which will be distributed to districts with more cases and with a lack of facilities, such as Hassan, Mandya, Chickballapur, Kolar, and Chitradurga.
“We are working on providing more assistance such as ICU facility, oxygen, etc in all medical colleges across the State,” he said, adding that he is visiting districts to review the situation.
The Minister, who visited Tumakuru and Chitradurga as well, made observations about the situation there. For Tumakuru, which has seen a steady increase in the number of cases in tandem with the rise in cases in the State, he directed officials to prepare for the third wave now itself. Tumakuru, due to its proximity to Bengaluru, is among the worse-affected districts in the State.
In Chitradurga, Dr. Sudhakar blamed the non-implementation of guidelines and protocols to control COVID-19 for the rise in cases. He also directed officials to make arrangements to shift those in home isolation to COVID care centres, and establish such facilities wherever possible.
A release from the Health and Family Welfare Department also said the Chief Minister has decided to provide ₹50,000 advance to all gram panchayats. Village task force committees will utilise the fund to shift COVID patients to care centres.
As cases of black fungus are increasingly being reported in the State, the Health Minister said treatment is being provided to mucormycosis patients.
