Kalaburagi hostels to be used for rural Covid patients
District in-charge minister Nirani assures uninterrupted oxygen supply, separate floor for oxygenated beds
BENGALURU/KALABURAGI:
In a far-reaching initiative, Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh R Nirani, who is also the Kalaburagi district in-charge minister, has decided to utilise residential schools, colleges and hostels to house Covid-19 patients from rural areas in the district.
Announcing this decision, Nirani pointed out that people who test positive for Covid-19 in villages face a lot of problems due to lack of proper sanitation facilities. Almost all the houses in villages do not have separate toilets, which poses an infection risk for family members of infected patients.
“We can isolate and provide better treatment to rural patients by housing them in residential schools and hostels after converting them into Covid Care Centres. We will appoint taluk-wise nodal officers in 2-3 days to manage these centres,” Nirani said.
Regarding the shortage of oxygen in the district, the minister said the government was trying to fix the problem of transportation of oxygen cylinders. “Oxygen is available for the hospitals but transportation of oxygen in dedicated tankers is a problem. We are holding talks with the transporters and this will be solved in 2-3 days. We will ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen to hospitals in the district till the end of this health crisis,” he said
Oxygen concentrators
The minister also has plans to procure 500 oxygen concentrators of 10-litre capacity each to address the oxygen shortage issue. Nirani noted that all Covid patients do not necessarily need oxygen all the time, and the unused oxygen in a cylinder can be used by other patients. This apart, a separate floor for oxygenated beds will be arranged in all the hospitals in Kalaburagi to ensure hassle-free treatment of patients, he said. “Ventilators which were supplied to the district during the first wave last year will be used,” he added.
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