Doctors, paramedical staff and other health workers must bring a behavioural change in their attitude while treating the Covid-19 patients both in Covid Health Institutions as well as in Home isolation for better treatment of the patients. This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the meeting to review the Covid-19 and drought like situations in the district at Bachat Bhawan Bilaspur today.
Chief Minister said that most of the doctors and other paramedical staff were working with great commitment and dedication to treat covid-19 patients, but still greater commitment was required to ensure better results. He said that strengthening the mechanism of home isolation was need of the hour as about 95 per cent of the active cases of Covid-19 were in home isolation. He said that effective data about the patients in home isolation must be collected and they should also be provided pulse oxymeter, hand sanitizer along other essential medicines. He said that active involvement of local Pradhans in rural areas should be ensured to effectively coordinate with the family members of the covid-19 positive patients in home isolation besides local health and Asha workers. Effective mechanism must be evolved to regularly monitor health parameters of the patients in home isolation besides motivating the people, he added.
Jai Ram Thakur urged the members of vyapar mandals to give their wholehearted support to the State Government to fight spread of this pandemic. He said that the district administration must keep watch on people coming back home from religious congregations from other States with intensity of Covid-19. He said the elected representatives of the PRIs could pay a vital role in identifying such persons coming back from such States. He said that the virus was spreading at much a pace and is more fatal as the deaths reported in the State during last about fifty days has gone up from 970 to 1177. He said that the Asha Workers must also record the other co-morbidities of the Covid-19 patients in home isolation so that better treatment of the covid-19 patients could be done.
Chief Minister said that a special campaign must be launched to ensure active participation of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies, NGOs, Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals etc. to strengthen the mechanism of home isolation. He said that as compared to other states, Himachal Pradesh was still better due to effective covid-19 management done by the State, but still lot more needed to be done to curb this pandemic.
While reviewing the situation arisen due to the drought like situation in Bilaspur district, Chief Minister felt the need for rationing of water supply in a planned manner. He said that handpumps could also be installed in areas which were facing huge water crisis. He said that steps must also be laid to interlink water schemes besides going for augmentation of water supply schemes. He said that the officials of Jal Shakti Department must ensure proper distribution of water supply and also check water leakages.
MLAs Subhash Thakur and J.R. Katwal also gave their valuable suggestions on the occasion, to contain the spread of pandemic in the district. They also felt the need that capacity in the district must be increased besides keeping an eye on the people visiting the high load States. They said that proper coordination between the Jal Shakti Department and HPSEB must be ensured for better supply of water.
Secretary Health Amitabh Awasthi said that the State Government was strictly following tracing, testing and treating of the covid-19 patients in the State. He directed the officers to ensure adequate stock of essential drugs, oxygen facilities and other logistics in the hospitals for better treatment of the covid patients. He also urged the elected representatives of PRIs to ensure better coordination with the family members of the covid-19 patients.
Deputy Commissioner Bilaspur Rohit Jamwal, while welcoming the Chief Minister, said that there were 493 active cases in the district and 28 deaths have been reported in the district. He said that out of the total active cases, 392 cases were in home isolation in the district. He said that each patient has been attached to the concerned Medial Officer of the area and local Asha worker and Health worker visit the patient in home isolation twice a day to monitor his health parameters. He said that about 70 per cent population of the eligible groups had been vaccinated. He said that the district has a total bed capacity of 275 and the district administration was planning to further expand the same to tackle the any eventuality. He said that the district has witnessed 63 per cent less rainfall in the till 1st March to 18th April this year which was a matter of concern. He said that if the drought like condition prevails about 42 water supply schemes would get affected in the district. He said that the district has also witnessed about 50 per cent loss in crops due to drought like conditions. He said that the district was bound to witness fodder crisis due to drought.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Rajinder Garg, MLA Hamirpur Narinder Thakur, Political Advisor to the Chief Minister Trilok Jamwal, Superintendent of Police Devakar Sharma, senior district level officers and representatives of various social, religious and business organizations attended the meeting, whereas representatives of the PRIs also joined the meeting virtually from their respective areas.