COVID-19: HP govt demands more PPE, testing kits from Centre

The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday urged the Centre to provide it adequate number of Personal Protective Equipment and rapid diagnostic kits to effectively fight COVID-19.

In a video conference, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also appealed to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan for 60 ventilators in case of any eventuality, an official spokesperson said.

The union health minister assured Thakur that the centre would provide all possible help to the state to tackle the situation.

The chief minister informed the Union minister that till date 773 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the state, out of which 745 have been found negative.

The state has 21 active cases and all of them are either Tablighi Jamaat members or their close contacts, the chief minister said.

Thakur further said the state government has so far notified six hospitals to treat coronavirus patients. These are: Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College Nerchowk Mandi, ESIC Hospital Katha Baddi, Charitable Hospital Bhota in Hamirpur district, SS Memorial Ashirwad Hospital in Chamba district, Civil Hospital Sarahan in Sirmaur district and Agarwal Hospital Jwalamukhi in Kangra district.

The state government has launched a campaign under which health workers go door-to-door to enquire about people's health and so far over 60 lakh people have been covered, the chief minister informed Vardhan.

This has helped the state government in identifying people with any kind of infection, Thakur said, adding that the entire state will be covered under the campaign in the next two days.