Oxygen generation plants will be set up at 142 places across Tamil Nadu. These plants will come up at a cost of ₹16 lakh each, while larger plants will be set up at Perambalur, Virudhunagar and Nilgiris at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh each, Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian said on Monday.
“Work on these plants will begin soon. We have included Tiruvallur district in the priority list. Each of these plants can supply oxygen for 30 to 50 beds,” he told presspersons. The Minister was inspecting the government hospital at Avadi and the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvallur.
During the Chief Minister’s meeting with the Collectors, a plea to recruit 2,000 doctors, 6,000 staff nurses and 2,000 workers was put forward, he said.
“The Chief Minister has approved the same and steps will be taken to recruit them,” he said.
Delay in test results
About RT-PCR test results getting delayed, he said when compared to the corresponding period last year, the number of cases had increased by four times. “We are taking steps to increase laboratory facilities. We will take up steps to make available test reports in 24 hours,” he said.
He said 50 oxygen supported beds would soon be brought to use for patients with COVID-19 at the Government Hospital in Avadi. Work on an annexe building estimated at a cost of ₹27 crore would start soon. Construction of the building, which will have 60 beds, would be completed in 15 months, he added.
Tiruvallur was among the 10 districts that were recording a high number of COVID-19 cases in the State. Its daily tally was between 1,000 and 1,300. “A total of 5,309 persons are under treatment in the district. Of these, 2,005 are in hospitals, 1,140 in COVID-19 Care Centres and 2,164 in home isolation,” he said.
There are 17 mobile testing units in the district while medical camps are being held at 70 places every day, he said.
S.M. Nasar, Minister for Milk and Dairy Development; K. Baskaran, Commissioner of Municipal Administration and district monitoring officer; and P. Ponniah, Tiruvallur Collector, were present.
