Mewat medical college in Haryana converted into exclusive Covid hospital

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 4

Ramping up its preparations to tackle the novel coronavirus, the Haryana Government has announced that Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College in Nalhar will now be an exclusive COVID-19 hospital.

The college has a capacity of 600 beds.

Haryana Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora shared this while presiding over the meeting of the Crisis Coordination Committee through video-conferencing here on Saturday.

She directed the officers that the patients who are already admitted to the hospital should be immediately shifted to nearby hospitals after duly following all transfer protocols as per the guidelines. Apart from this, it should also be ensured that the availability and supply of adequate medical equipments including PPE kits, masks etc in this hospital. 

She directed that the officers should also ensure that exclusive COVID wards are made in the medical colleges and hospitals across the state.

The Chief Secretary further directed that possibilities should be explored to convert the medical colleges into exclusively COVID hospitals. Private laboratories should be identified in each district which can be designated for COVID-19 testing and along with this, the availability of rapid testing kits should be ensured in every hospital and medical college, she added.

The Chief Secretary directed that the order for rate capping of vegetables has already been issued and all Deputy Commissioners should ensure that the shops and street hawkers should not sell the vegetables beyond the capped rate. She further shared that the rate capping order should be widely circulated on social media so that people can be aware of the rates.  

She directed that the officers should also ensure that the rate list is pasted outside the shops and on the carts of the street hawkers. She further directed that the rate capping of moong dal and mustard oil should also be done.

She directed that in the districts and villages where the positive cases of COVID-19 had been reported, there the number of milkman supplying milk in those areas should be decreased and focus should be on increasing the supply of packed milk. She directed that the close watch should be kept on overcharging of any essential commodity. She directed that it should also be ensured that petrol pumps located on highways should remain open. She directed that proper monitoring of sadhus living in old dharamshala should be done and thermal scanning and social distancing of these sadhus be ensured.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department TVSN Prasad was informed that to avoid overcrowding in the banks, the State Government has made a mechanism so that the beneficiaries coming to the banks withdraw their money in a staggered manner.