PATNA: The state government is taking all precautions and making arrangements to protect the lives of the people, especially the children, from the expected third Covid-19 wave in the state, health minister Mangal Pandey tells B K Mishra.
Excerpts: In the light of the explosive situation owing to surge in Covid cases recently, what preparations are being made by the state government to tackle any third wave in the state?Learning lessons from the second wave, the government has already started making arrangements of all the required infrastructure and equipment in all the health centres so that not a single patient suffers.
To ensure the availability of oxygen round the clock, cryogenic oxygen tanks are being installed at all the hospitals.
The Union petroleum ministry has started installing oxygen generation plants of 2000 to 5000 litres per minute (lpm) capacity in all the 10 government medical college and hospitals in the state.
AIIMS Patna has already got one such plant.
Besides, 54 Sadar and sub-divisional hospitals are getting pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generators of 300 to 500 lpm capacity.
Oxygen pipelines are also being installed at different sub-divisional hospitals.
The state industries department has already installed oxygen refilling plants in as many as eight hospitals and is in the process of installing such plants in more hospitals of the state.
The third wave is supposed to be more dangerous for children.
What special arrangements are you making for the treatment of children, in case of some getting seriously infected?All the necessary arrangements for the treatment of children in case of being infected with Covid virus are being made by the government.
Special wards for children with necessary facilities are being created in all the hospitals.
Facilities of ICUs and ventilators and beds are being strengthened at all the hospitals and healthcare centres.
All the hospitals have been directed to get the infrastructure of paediatric intensive care units (PICU), neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and special newborn care units (SNCUs) in their children wards improved without any further delay.
The process of procurement of essential equipment has already started.
The department has already placed orders for the purchase of all essential equipment and medicines for the children wards.
BiPAP (bilevel positive air pressure) machines for children are being installed at all the PICUs, neonatal NICUs and SNCUs of different hospitals.
Besides, special mother child hospitals (MCH) are also being set up in 20 districts of the state.
Do you feel that our hospitals have got the desired number of doctors and paramedical staff to treat the ever-increasing number of patients?The government is already seized of the problem and, hence, the process of appointment of doctors and other technical staff, both on regular basis and on contract, has been initiated.
As many as 1000 floating posts of doctors have been created for one year and the appointments are being made.
Nearly 700 of them have already been appointed.
Hospitals have been advised to appoint sufficient numbers of ANMs and GNMs as per their requirements on contract.
Altogether 30,000 doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff are being appointed.
Posts of about 9800 doctors, including 2632 general doctors, 3883 specialists and 3270 Ayush doctors, have been advertised for regular appointment and the process is just to begin.
What is the status of vaccination in the state? Would the state be able to get its entire population vaccinated before the onset of the third wave?Vaccination is already going on in full swing at all the centres in the state.
Besides, 839 mobile vaccination vans named Teeka Express have been launched by the state government for doorstep inoculation of the people.
The state is hopeful of achieving its target if it continues to get regular supply of vaccines from the central government.
What about the facilities for the treatment of people getting infected with black fungus?The government has made all the necessary arrangements in various hospitals for the treatment of people infected with black fungus.
Constant efforts are on to ensure regular supply of essential injections and medicines to save the lives of patients.
The government is spending an amount varying from Rs4 to 5 lakh on the treatment of a black fungus patient.