Strengthen the state command and control room : AP CM

National

Continuing to focus on the further preparedness on Covid-19, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Jagan Mohan Reddy addressed all the district collectors at the Spandana review meeting. To further strengthen the state command and control room, the collectors should ensure the appointment of cluster in-charges and district level flying squad is completed and functioning effectively. The CM also said that senior officers at the district level being appointed to guide the collectors during this grave situation. The joint collectors should focus completely on the effective functioning of the Government hospitals as well as Aarogyasri hospitals in covid management in all aspects.

‘Instructions have been issues to appoint adequate number of medical and para-medical personnel as were appointed last year. Adequate funds were released for payments of all pending covid related bills and the collectors should personally ensure that all the bills are uploaded as early as possible. We need to ensure that people are following covid appropriate behaviour. Several restrictions were already imposed like prohibition of gathering of more than 50 people. Lockdown is not the solution to the pandemic. We need to ensure all that is required care is taken so that normal activity, to the extent possible, goes on while we deal with the second wave’ CM said.

CM said that there is a need to devote attention to its management so as to avoid hardship to the public as it was done during the first wave last year. CM said that there is a need to ramp up testing capacity duly ensuring RT/PCR tests being carried out. He also stressed on the need to ensure that each and every case of death is analysed properly and that appropriate action, in terms of clinical practices, such as to ensure that serious cases are being reported to hospital on time.

Vaccination

Reiterating the fact that the long term solution to the pandemic lies in effectively vaccinating all the eligible population as early as possible, the CM points out that ‘as on today 11,30,674 people have been vaccinated with both doses and 45,47,958 people have been given the single dose. ‘We are making arrangements to procure enough vaccines to cover 2.04 Cr population between the age of 18-45 at the state cost. Collectors must personally ensure that there is 100% coverage of the left over health workers and other front line workers by appropriately motivating and counselling them’ CM said.

Oxygen Supply – Need for Oxygen audit at all hospitals

Currently, we are daily supplying 320-340 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen to all the hospitals in the state. While there has been no shortage so far, there is a need to reduce wastage. The CM directed the officials to ensure that the only qualifying as per the prescribed protocol is administered oxygen. The CM instructed to carry out an oxygen audit in each of the hospitals so that all patients who really deserve the supply of oxygen can be accommodated.

104 Call centre

CM instructed the collectors to ensure effective functioning of the District 104-Call Centres. 104 operates as one stop solution for all the covid related issues faced by the public. On an average, 6,500 calls are being received at 104. The CM also stressed on the importance to ensure that each and every call pertaining to testing, tele-consultation with doctors, especially on the hospital bed requirement is attended to within 3 hours of the call received. ‘The collectors should also ensure that there are adequate numbers of Covid Care Centres. As of now 59 CCCs have been operationalized by the distrct with 33,327 beds. The Collectors should also ensure that the quality food, sanitation, provision of medications, functioning of help desks and all the other appropriate steps are taken as was done last year’ CM said.