Patna: The state government is fully prepared to protect the lives of people, especially children, from Omicron, Health Minister Mangal Pandey told B K Mishra in an exclusive interview.
Excerpts: What arrangements are made by the state government in view of the increasing threat of Covid variant Omicron-19? Not one person in the state that have so far been infected with Omicron.
But the government was serious about the possible invasion.
Ministry of Health constantly monitor the situation and all the hospitals and health centers in the state have been warned against.
People who come from outside being tested.
If there are sure to Covid, the sample is sent for genome sequencing to confirm whether or not it Omicron.
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIM) in Patna has got the infrastructure necessary for genome sequencing.
Otherwise, samples will be sent to the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, or the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) in Kalyani (near Kolkata).
All the tourists who come from outside either by flight or train is being tested for the virus is quite tight.
Do you feel hospitals and health centers are fully equipped to deal with the possibility of a third wave after emergence omicron? Infrastructure of all hospitals up to the block level have been strengthened to meet any eventualities.
The government has started to improve health infrastructure after the second wave because the country suffers huge loss of life due to lack of advanced facilities humic.
Now, there will be no shortage of medical oxygen at any health center.
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator has been installed in 125 hospitals.
All hospitals, directly from the sub-health center to hospital medical colleges, has been equipped with the necessary medical equipment according to their needs.
In addition, all health centers have equipment such as oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinder type B and C-type BiPAP (bilevel air pressure) for children.
All essential drugs supplied to health centers.
Number of beds ICU also increased in all hospitals.
Omicron supposed to be more dangerous for children.
What special arrangements you made for the care of the infected children seriously? All the necessary infrastructure is already available in health centers.
Special environment for children with the necessary facilities have been made in all hospitals.
ICU facilities and beds with ventilator has been improved in all hospitals and health care centers.
All hospitals have been directed to set up the infrastructure in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Newborn Care Unit (SNC) without delay.
Active important equipment procurement process.
How to drive a vaccination? How do you ensure the vaccination of the maximum number of people in the beginning? Vaccination is running full statewide.
In fact, the level of vaccination has increased considerably after news Omicron virus.
More than 65 lakh doses of vaccine have been given in the last eight days.
There is no dearth of vaccine anywhere in the state and the people, even in rural areas, are motivated to come forward and make their earliest inoculated.
The state government is likely to reach its target to vaccinate six crore people instantly.