Shimla: Himachal Pradesh has asked Union Government to provide adequate number of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits along with rapid diagnostic kits to the state so that the existing medical facilities could be strengthened to effectively fight Coronavirus.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, in a video conference of Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, demanded for 60 ventilators for the state so that adequate numbers of ventilators were available in case of any eventuality.
Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan ensured the Chief Minister that the Union Government would provide all possible help to the State Government to tackle this situation. He said that the collective efforts by the Union Government as well as State Government were need of the hour.
The state government has notified six hospitals as COVID-19 hospitals viz. Shri Lal Bahadur Sashtri Government Medical College Nerchowk Mandi, ESIC Hospital Katha Baddi, Charitable Hospital Bhota in Hamirpur district, S.S. Memorial Ashirwaad Hospital in Chamba district, Civil Hospital Sarahan in Sirmaur district and Agarwal Hospital Jwalamukhi in district Kangra.
The state has also initiated an Active Case Finding Campaign in the state under which health workers during the door to door campaign have reached out to over 60 lakh people to enquire about their health. Besides it the State Government has started tele-medicine facilities in about 50 Health Sub Centres and Primary Health Centres in the state.
The state has tested as many as 773 people Coronavirus and out of which 745 people have been found negative. Total 28 positive cases of Coronavirus have found in the state out of which two have recovered and discharged, four have gone for treatment outside the state and one person has died. The state today has 21 active cases of COVID-19 and all of them were either Tablighi Jamaat or their close contacts.
The state has identified about 6600 beds capacity for quarantine facility and 510 beds were available for isolation. Beside 450 beds were available for Coronavirus positive patients in the state.
