Punjab CM orders mobile vans to be made operational in all hotspots for community SARI testing
As the state government intensified its preparedness to combat coronavirus crisis in the coming days, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday directed the Health Department to make mobile testing vans operational in all districts having pandemic hotspots to conduct community testing for SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Illness).
The Chief Minister has also ordered an aggressive drive to scale up the isolation beds to 5,000 in the next few days. Though there have been no confirmed estimates available, the state government is preparing for the worst-case scenario, according to Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh.
Meanwhile, the manpower recruitment and training has also started on war footing to ensure that the state is fully prepared in the coming weeks, said the Chief Secretary. Adding, he said that 2500 beds in 20 facilities in the state were ready for utilization, and the number would be continuously increased along with support facilities.
Likewise, the Chief Minister has asked the Health Department to order the necessary protective gear, ventilators, masks, etc on priority. According to ACS Vini Mahajan, continuous testing of samples was being ensured and orders for approved equipment had already been placed.
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Captain Amarinder has also asked the Deputy Commissioners to oversee the arrangements for food and other essentials as part of the relief operations launched across the state amid curfew/lockdown restrictions.
-PTC News
