Ahead of third wave of coronavirus, Punjab CM orders test to be scaled to 60,000/day
Third wave of Coronavirus in Punjab: With projections of new cases set to double in about 64 days at the present rate of growth, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered Covid-19 testing in the state to be increased to at least 60,000 tests per day, while virtually inaugurating a Children’s Covid Ward as well as PSA Oxygen plants in Ludhiana and Faridkot.
Reviewing the state’s preparation an imminent third wave of coronavirus, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh directed the Health Department to undertake priority sentinel testing for OPD/IPD patients at Government and private hospitals, travellers at entry points, Government offices, industries and labour colonies, staff at marriage palaces, restaurants, pubs, bars, gyms etc.
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Based on this, Districts should formulate strategies for micro-containment zones, he said, noting with satisfaction that GIS-based surveillance and prevention tool, with an auto-trigger mechanism for localised restrictions, is now live in all Districts and will help guide local restrictions if needed.
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The Covid Paediatric Ward at Civil Hospital, Ludhiana, has 5 Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) & 08 Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC) beds.
The advanced ultra-modern PICUs are comparable with the best in the country, said the Chief Minister, thanking Vijay Munjal of Hero Ecotech Ltd, Ludhiana, and Dr. Bishav Mohan from DMC&H, for donating equipment worth Rs. 20 lacs. The doctors and nurses have been trained with the help of Dr. Bishav Mohan.
The ward has ECHO & Cardiology backup from DMC&H. Dr. Rupesh Aggarwal (Singapore) for Project O2 with Zeiss, India, donated 5 PICU beds. Other infrastructure facilities were provided by the Punjab Government.
The Chief Minister announced that the government would be augmenting the PICU and level 2 paediatric beds capacity in all 23 Districts and 4 GMCHs to 1,104 paediatric beds.
The PSA Oxygen plants in Ludhiana inaugurated by the Chief Minister include 1000 LPM each at ESI Hospital and Civil Hospital, and 500 LPM at Urban Health Centre, Vardhman. He also inaugurated a 2000 litre PSA plant, sponsored by SPS Oberoi, at Baba Farid MCH Faridkot.
-PTC News
