Shimla: As part of Covid-19 relief activities of the party, Congress President Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Wednesday launched a free ambulance service for Covid patients.

This ambulance equipped with oxygen, would be run by the State Congress Committee from Congress Headquarters Rajiv Bhawan and will be available round the clock.

Rathore said that Congress has arranged 28 ambulances with oxygen, free of cost in the state, which are serving the corona-infected people day and night throughout the state.

“In wake of the shortage of beds in hospitals in the state, the State Congress Committee has decided to offer two meeting halls of Rajiv Bhavan, Congress headquarters, with an area of four thousand square feet to the state government to be used as isolation wards,” he said, adding that two halls can accommodate around 200 beds.

“If the government accepts the proposal, then Congress will also make complete arrangements for free and nutritious food for the patients,” he added.

Rajiv Bhavan being close to the Covid Hospital and connected to the main cart road could prove to be very useful to the people affected by the Covid-19, said Rathore.

“I have written a letter to the Governor in this regard and also informed the District Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer Shimla in this regard,” said Rathore.

Suggesting the state government to use the vacant hotels in the state for isolation instead of making make-shift hospitals, he said that this will help to provide some financial relief to those hoteliers who have taken loans of lakhs from banks.

Congress has taken up the task to provide respite to the people affected by Covid-19 that include supplying ration to the needy, setting up of relief centres in all the districts and blocks of the state, other than the headquarters, he added.

Rathore said that under the leadership of former minister G.S. Bali, who is in charge of Corona relief works in the state, the distribution of Covid relief kits was being done up to the block level.

All the MLAs, former MLAs, District Presidents, Block Presidents of the party have been engaged in the service of the people in these relief activities in their respective areas, he said.