JOIN USKarnataka to ramp up health setup to check Covid surge
In a bid to contain the Covid-19 second wave, the state government on Saturday decided to overhaul the health infrastructure across the state with measures like setting up laboratories, oxygen generating plants and super speciality hospitals in Bengaluru. A high-level meeting of the Karnataka Covid Task Force headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan resolved to bring in several changes to make health care affordable for the public.
Rolling out a detailed plan of action to contain the Covid surge in districts and villages to begin with, the state government has decided to withdraw home isolation facilities for asymptomatic Covid patients. Instead, all Covid patients will be admitted to Covid Care Centres (CCCs) or isolation centres for better monitoring and to prevent spread of infection.
“Unlike in Bengaluru, households in rural areas lack separate facilities for isolation, exposing other family members to the infection. Hence, we are withdrawing home isolation option and admitting all Covid patients to the CCCs either at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) or at the taluk headquarters,” Narayan told reporters.
He said this would enable better monitoring, treatment and supply of nutritious food to patients.
Deputy commissioners have been directed to arrange for CCCs at government hostels and schools. “Any Covid patient, from today, will undergo physical triaging at CCCs and depending on their condition, they will be advised further treatment. Wherever cases are reported, health workers will carry out RAT testing,” the DCM revealed.
Fearing possible infection at hospitals during vaccination, the government has decided to shift Covid vaccination centres from hospitals to schools, open air grounds and stadiums,” Narayan said.
The Covid Task Force has also revised the frontline warriors’ list and included delivery boys, postal staff, bank employees, Internet providers and traders.
“All these sections of society will be vaccinated on priority. As and when we receive vaccine stocks, we will start vaccinating those above 18 years,” the DCM said.
The state government has also finalised the global tender for procurement of vaccines. “We will purchase 50 lakh doses each from four companies, each at a cost of Rs 843 crore. Another Rs 75 crore has been set aside for the purchase of five lakh doses of remdesivir.
Aimed at providing quality and affordable medical care to the common, the task force resolved to set up 100-bed hospitals in all the 28 Assembly constituencies of Bengaluru. This apart, a super-speciality hospital with a tertiary treatment facility will be set up in seven places with each hospital catering to four Assembly
constituencies.
Further, for better administration of health facilities in Bengaluru, the government has decided to bifurcate the health wing from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and create a separate entity for it under the Health and Family Welfare Department. “We have appointed an experts committee to look into the technicalities of bifurcation. Based on their recommendation, we will decide on the bifurcation of the department from BBMP,” the DCM explained.