Chandigarh, May 11:  Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal while taking strict cognizance of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the rural areas has directed the officers concerned to set up isolation centres in villages that come in the hot-spot category from  May 15, 2021, and medical investigation in these villages should be started at the earliest. 

The Chief Minister said this while presiding over a special meeting held here today with high level  officials for discussing the COVID-19 situation in the State. 

While reviewing the preparations being made in the Rural areas, the Chief Minister said that during this medical screening campaign, those having COVID like symptoms should immediately be quarantined in the isolation centres set up in the villages and it should also be ensured that they get the required treatment. He said  that medical, para-medical, Asha workers etc. should be deputed on 24*7  duty in these centres. 

The Chief Minister was apprised that initially there is a plan to set up 1000 isolation centres for conducting the health checkups of the villagers, an arrangement of  5,000 thermal scanners, 4,000 oximeters and sufficient amount of medicines like paracetamol etc have been made available in stock. 

The  Chief Minister further directed that to prevent the spread of this Pandemic the velocity of work should be at par with the work during a war-like situation. Be it about strengthening infrastructure or ensuring timely purchase of other necessary items, the purchase should be done on the spot insted of through tenders.

The Chief Minister said that it is the effort of the State Government that in the rural areas, even at the CHC level, necessary facilities should be made available for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and  for this,  an arrangement of approximately 5-10 beds should be made in each CHC.  

He informed that 110 minibuses of Haryana Roadways are being converted into ambulances.  Five ambulance buses each will be made available in every district, apart from this, one big AC bus will also be available in every district, which can be used as an isolation centre, he added.

The Chief Minister also directed that oxygen tanks should be constructed as soon as possible for storage of oxygen in medical colleges.  In districts where medical colleges are far away and there is dependence on oxygen cylinders, then it should be ensure that liquid-medical oxygen is provided there.  He further directed to install 5 to 10 new ventilators in every district so that serious patients can get treatment easily.  

He directed the officers concerned to keep a close vigil on the overcharging being done by some private hospitals.  It was informed in the meeting that soon global tenders of the COVID-19 vaccine would be called.

On this occasion, the Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. DS Dhesi, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Sh. Rajeev Arora, Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development Department, Sh. Amit Jha, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. V. Umashankar, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Director General, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Dr. Amit  Agrawal, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Smt. Ashima Brar, Principal OSD to Chief Minister, Sh. Neeraj Daftuar, Principal Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Sh.Vinod Mehta and other senior officials were present.