Shivamogga Lok Sabha member B.Y. Raghavendra has appealed to the public to cooperate with the district administration in combating the spread of COVID-19 by following guidelines strictly. He held a meeting with officers in Shivamogga on Monday regarding the steps taken to improve health infrastructure facilities in the district.
As many as 250 COVID-19 patients were under treatment at Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences. More than 700 beds had been allocated for COVID-19 patients here. Enough care had been taken to ensure non-COVID-19 patients do not suffer, he said.
The institute has an oxygen plant with a capacity to store 16,000 kilolitres of liquid oxygen. The plant is refilled from a tank from Bengaluru once in two days. Only those who require treatment are being admitted to the hospital, while the rest are in home isolation, he said.
Regarding the tests, the Lok Sabha member said every day around 2,000 samples were being collected. As many samples from neighbouring districts also reach the laboratory in Shivamogga for analysis, some people were not getting results within 24 hours. “This will improve in a couple of days,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner K.B.S hivakumar said 250 beds of the McGann Hospital had been provided with oxygen supply. In order to reduce the pressure on McGann Hospital, infrastructure at taluk hospitals was being upgraded. The taluk hospital at Shikaripur had been provided with an oxygen generator. It would be operational within a couple of days. Similar arrangements would be made in Bhadravati and Sagar. In all taluk hospitals, 50 beds each would be proved with oxygen supply.
SIMS director Dr iddappa, Superintendent of Police B.M. Laxmi Prasad, Zilla Panchayat CEO M.L.Vyshali and others were present at the meeting.
