Bommai seeks Centre's aid for battling Covid-19 third wave

While Covid-19 cases are expected to peak in the coming weeks, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday sought the Centre's aid to increase oxygenated beds and oxygen plants in the state.

Bommai brought this up during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference with chief ministers of various states.

As of January 2022, Karnataka has 28,447 oxygen beds and 3,877 ICU beds, according to data from the health minister's office. The state has 217 functional oxygen plants.

Also Read | Over 25,000 new Covid-19 cases in Karnataka; 18,374 from Bengaluru alone

Modi has directed states to learn from the experience of the first and the second wave and be fully equipped to face the third wave, which he said is expected to peak in February. He said the Centre had given Rs 32,000 crore to all states for basic health infrastructure after the second wave. However, several states have not made use of it yet. He urged the state governments to make use of the funds to set up basic health infrastructure.

About 94 per cent of peopled infected with Covid-19 in the third wave are in home isolation. States must boost their confidence and also ensure adequate medicines for them, Modi advised.

'Modi appreciates Karnataka'

Bommai said that Modi appreciated the testing, tracking, tracing, triaging and technology — the 5T formula — adopted by Karnataka. The PM also expressed his appreciation that the state is conducting a high number of tests and the state's vaccination rate is higher than the national average, the Chief Minister's Office said in a statement. Modi also praised the use of technology for monitoring the health of those in home isolation, Bommai said.

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