All Karnataka Faces Lockdown

Fever clinics at Indira canteens

BENGALURU:

Taken aback by the busy street scenes in Bengaluru on Monday despite the earlier announced lockdown, the state government is contemplating a total statewide lockdown. An official order may come later in the day.

Announcing this at an afternoon presser following his discussions with private hospitals, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said the public response to the lockdown should have been like the laudable response to the ‘janata curfew’ on Sunday. But people were still moving around without realizing the gravity of the situation.

The government was considering serious steps like the ‘janata curfew’, he said, adding, “Later in the evening, after discussions with opposition leaders, the governnment will issue an order. I held meeting with private hospitals management’s and to enforce complete shutdown was suggested.”

Besides, a big challenge was to check home quarantined persons who were not obeying the quarantine rules. “The government will come out with a plan shortly,” he added.

On his meeting with private hospital managements, Yediyurappa said it was decided to provide 1,200 beds at Victoria Hospital and private hospitals had been directed to keep 1,200 beds ready to tackle any kind of situation.

He also ordered setting up of 30 ‘fever clinics’ at the existing Indira canteens in Bengaluru city. He added that the Indira canteens would function normally to provide free breakfast, lunch and dinner to common people.

Highlights of Meeting with Heads of Private hospitals and doctors

1. I requested the experts, doctors and private hospital owners to serve the people through Government.

2. I told them that Government is serious to implement all suggestions given by them to contain the virus.

3. Our only worry is how to quarantine the large number of people who have come in contact with the diseased.

4. They suggested complete shut down.

5. Suggested to start fever clinics. Here preliminary check ups will be done. 30 fever clinics will be started.

6. They come forward to spare the services of doctors and clinical staff working in their hospitals.

7. They have agreed to spare more than 100 ventilators.

8. We have decided to create a separate block of 1200 beds at Victoria and another 1200 will be pooled up at a private hospital.

9. They suggested to make the people understand the seriousness of the situation and popularise the message “stay at home and prevent getting diseases”

10. They suggested to strengthen private public partnership to deal and tackle the Covid 19.

11. Government is keen, not only to tackle and prevent the spread of covid19 it is even serious to create infrastructure needed to treat the patients.

12. Government has decided to make people to understand the seriousness of the pandemic.

13. My sincere and serious appeal to the people staying in urban centres not to visit villages and hamlets which are till today free from Covid 19.

14. Looking at the gravity of the situation Government has decided that All non essential services and commercial establishments would be shut down till 31 March 2020 in 9 districts.

15. For the poor who depend on their daily wages for livelihood, food will be provided free of cost through Indira Canteen.

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