Health infra in Chamba to be beefed up: Thakur

Our Correspondent
Chamba, May 3

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said that the state government would ensure the availability of the best health infrastructure for Covid patients in the district that has difficult geographical conditions. He reviewed the Covid situation in the district at a meeting with officers here

Thakur said that at present, of the total 713 active cases in the district, only 68 patients were admitted to hospitals and the remaining were in home isolation. The government had asked the administration to increase the bed capacity in the district to over 200 to meet any emergency situation.

The Chief Minister said that there was no dearth of oxygen in the state but empty cylinders were an issue. The state had urged the Central Government to provide additional D-type cylinders. He added that the PSA Oxygen plant in Chamba would start functioning within a week and it would meet the demand of the life-saving gas in the district.

To facilitate smooth transportation of cylinders, district-wise mapping of oxygen manufacturers would be done so that oxygen could be supplied to the needy district from the nearest point. He urged the elected representatives of the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) to help the administration in taking care of patients in home isolation.

Thakur said that the government would ensure adequate staff in health institutions of the district by hiring them on the outsourced basis. He added that adequate men and machinery and MRI and CT Scan facilities would be provided at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba.

Deputy Commissioner DC Rana said that Covid patients in the district were being treated at six places having a total bed capacity of 275.

He added that efforts were being made to add 105 more beds. There are about 713 active cases in the district and around 1.13 lakh people have been administered vaccines. Deputy Speaker Hans Raj, MLAs Vikram Jaryal, Jia Lal Kapoor and Pawan Nayyar attended the meeting.

Later, the Chief Minister visited the construction site of Chamba medical college and directed the executing agency to speed up the work.