Ready to meet any eventuality: HP CM after video conference with PM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday said the state government is fully prepared to meet any eventuality likely to arise out of the coronavirus situation.

Holding the meeting with the senior state officials immediately after the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Thakur said the state is concerned about the sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, but at the same time he said the Himachal Pradesh government is fully prepared to meet any eventuality.

Modi, while virtually reviewing the situation of COVID-19 in the country with chief ministers, Lt. Governors and administrators of Union Territories expressed concern over the spike in the number of cases in most of the states of the country. Chief Minister Thakur attended the meeting virtually from Shimla.

Holding the meeting with the senior state officers, Thakur directed them to strengthen the mechanism of home isolation as most of the patients in the state were under home isolation.

The chief minister also directed them to make best possible arrangements for transportation of patients from home to health institutions so that they could be provided immediate treatment.

Thakur said the state today has over 11,500 bed capacity which is expandable up to 17,000, in addition to 2,374 dedicated beds with oxygen, 8,765 Covid dedicated beds, 237 ICU beds and 1,014 ventilators.

The chief minister said the state has 48 PSA plants with 59.37 MT oxygen capacity, 2,100 A-type cylinders, 5,009 B-Type cylinders, 1,112 D-type cylinders and 5,723 concentrators. He said there was adequate stock of essential medicines such as PCM 650, PCM 500, remdesivir, dexamethasone, hydro cortisone etc.

Thakur said that adequate stock of consumables such as PPE kits and N-95 masks was available in the state.

He said the state has already achieved the target of 100 per cent Covid vaccination with first dose of those in the 15-18 years age group and now the state government is striving to achieve the target of cent per cent precaution dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens.

Thakur said greater stress was being laid on testing, tracking, treating and 'teekakaran'(vaccination).