From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, May 15: The Covid positive people in rural, urban and slums will henceforth need not worry about lack of space or facilities for home isolation and will be treated in Covid Care Centres as per a decision taken by the Covid Task Force headed by Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on Saturday.

The Covid Task Force also decided to frame and unveil a new oxygen policy for the State in the next three days besides fixing the gap between the first and second doses of vaccines for Covid - Covaxine at 6 weeks and Covishield at 12 weeks – and only those who have completed 6 weeks or 12 weeks for the two vaccines respectively will not be eligible to receive the second dose.

The Covid Task Force, which held a marathon four-hour-long meeting, decided to purchase 30 lakh medical kits and sanction Rs 843 crore for the purchase of vaccines and Rs 75 crore for purchase of Remdesivir anti-viral drugs, both of which will be done through global tenders.

The Covid infected people of rural areas, towns and slum areas will not be subjected home isolation and instead all infected persons of such areas will be shifted to Covid Care Centres for treatment, Dr Narayan told reporters after the meeting.

The Covid infected people in rural areas will not be subjected to home quarantine in their residences under any circumstances and instead will be shifted to the nearest Covid Care Centre for treatment immediately after getting tested Covid positive. The same rule will be followed in the case of people in towns and urban areas as well as slum dwellers, Dr Narayan said explaining that it will help in containing the spread of Covid infections and provide quality treatment, medicines and food.

The healthcare professionals must compulsorily visit people in rural areas, towns and urban areas as well as slums for carrying out mandatory Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) and shift all those testing positive to the neared Covid Care Centres.

In all Primary Health Centres (PHCs) Covid Care Centres will be created and the hostels and other available government buildings in such places will also be used as Covid Care Centres, Dr Narayan said pointing out that Deputy Commissioners of the districts concerned will be entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the decisions.

In a bid to solve the confusion over the gaps between the first and second doses of vaccines, Dr Narayan said Covaxine will be given only those who need the Second dose and that too only after a gap of 6 weeks from the first dose. Others will not be eligible for taking the second dose of Covaxine, he said.

With regard to Covishield vaccine, priority will be given to people aged above 45 for the first dose and the second dose only to those who have completed 12 weeks and others will not be eligible for taking the second dose.

Strict instructions in this regard have been given, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

A list of persons who should be given the vaccine on priority basis is being compiled. Postal and Agriculture department staff, delivery boys, bank staff, internet service providers and all those working in the essential service sectors will be given the vaccine on priority basis.

Timeline for administering vaccines

The Covid Task Force will decide the timeline for administering vaccines to people in the 18 to 44 year age group for which a separate application will be created, which will be linked to the Cowin portal and the vaccination will commence after completion of the linking process was completed, Dr Narayan said.

Instead of confining the vaccination only to hospitals, the Covid Task Force has decided to administer the vaccines outside the hospitals in vast open spaces of schools, playgrounds, stadiums and other public places, he said.

The Covid Task Force has finalized plans to float global tenders for purchase of 2 crore vaccines. Four companies will be selected and each of the company will be asked to supply 50 lakh each doses of vaccines as it was felt a single company may find it difficult to supply 2 crore doses.

As the purchase of vaccines will require Rs 843 crore, the Covid Task Force has approved the same, he said.

The Covid Task Force has also decided to float global tenders for purchasing 5 lakh doses of Remdesivir anti-viral injections at a cost of Rs 75 crore.

In addition, 30 lakh medical kits will be supplied to Covid infected people for the next three months and 1 crore RAT test kits, 1 lakh pulse oximeters will also be procured for the next 90 days, he said.
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The Deputy Chief Minister said a new oxygen policy for the use, establishment of oxygen plants and other infrastructure facilities will be announced in the next 3 to 4 days, which is aimed at solving the problems pertaining to oxygen availability.

In a bid to regulate the use of oxygen, 1000 oxygen equipment being manufactured by the DRDO will used on an experimental basis, he said explaining that each of the equipment will cost around Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000. Oxygen bottling units will also be created in six districts, he said.

Pointing out that black fungus infection has been noticed in Covid recovered patients, especially those having diabetes, he said the Technical Advisory Committee has estimated that 20,000 vials of Amphotericin medicine to treat the black fungus for which specific requests have been sent to the Centre.

Dr Narayan said 10 beds each in the 30 beds available in the 207 community health centres will be converted into beds, while 50 ICU beds will be created in the taluk hospitals including 15 with ventilator facilities and 6 beds will be reserved for mothers and child. In the district centres without medical colleges, 100 each ICU beds will be created, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the Covid Task Force has given approval for purchasing all the necessary medicines and equipment to meet the requirements necessary for the next 90 days in a phased programme. The purchases will be done by the State Medical Supplies Corporation by inviting tenders.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, who is also the Medical Education Minister, and Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, who are members of the Covid Task Force, Chief Secretary P Ravikumar, Health and Family Welfare Department Additional Chief Secretary Javed Akhtar and other senior officials attended the meeting.