From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 17: Treatment for Black Fungus disease, detected among Covid infected persons undergoing treatment, will be started in five divisional-level medical colleges in Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Mysuru, Hubballi and Kalaburgi soon.
This was decided at a meeting with heads of district administration starting with deputy commissioners, chief executive officers of zilla panchayats, district surgeons and health officers, as well as superintendents of police and other senior officials across the state, held under the chairmanship of chief minister B S Yediyurappa through video conferencing on Monday.
The meeting was informed that the Black Fungus disease crops up mostly due to use of ICUs, ventilators and humidifiers during the treatment of Covid patients and the treatment started on experimental basis in the Bowring Hospital in Bengaluru will be extended to all the five divisions in the state in medical colleges.
The meeting authorized the deputy commissioners of districts to bring in suitable changes and make the lockdown restrictions even more stringent in case of necessity after consulting the district in-charge ministers in their respective districts based on the seriousness of the situation.
The meeting directed all district authorities to conduct triaging at two levels compulsorily within two hours of getting the testing reports and at the time of admission in hospitals.
Taking note of the increase in the Covid infection cases in districts, especially in rural areas, the meeting directed the district administration to accord top priority for Covid control measures in the villages and take steps for immediate action within 24 hours of getting test reports. Home isolation of Covid infected persons must be strictly followed in the villages.
Maintain medicine stocks for 3 months
The chief minister authorized the district administration to locally purchase and supply medical kits for home isolation patients if there was any shortage. House-to-house visits and phone triaging must be adhered to, to identify and separate infected persons. Timely treatment for those requiring emergency medical care must be followed and all the tools for treatment based on the severity must be utilized in order to control the spurt in the infections. Stocks of medicines and medical kits for three months must be maintained to meet an emergency situation, the meeting decided.
The chief minister assured that all districts will be provided with sufficient numbers of oxygen concentrators from the health department. The requirement of oxygen in the districts must be assessed well in time and in the event of shortages or in emergency situations, coordination to obtain necessary supplies from the neighbouring districts must be worked out.
The meeting directed the district administrations to identify suitable places or buildings for establishing Covid Care Centres and even set up temporary hospitals with necessary treatment facilities.
Chikkamagaluru district will be immediately provided with PSA generators on a priority basis while the testing facility will be started in Sirsi of Uttara Kannada district. The Shivamogga deputy commissioner was instructed to take immediate steps to increase the oxygen generation and bottling capacity in VISL at Bhadravathi.
The meeting decided that all the secretaries in charge of districts must discuss with the deputy commissioners of the districts concerned twice a week on Covid control measures.
On the vaccination drive, the meeting asked the district administration to ensure that all those above 45 years eligible for the second dose must be given priority and next to the first dose for people above 45 years.
Deputy chief ministers Govind M Karjol and Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, ministers Dr K Sudhakar, Aravind Lambavali and K Gopalaiah, chief secretary P Ravikumar, additional chief secretary and development commissioner Vanditha Sharma and health and family welfare department additional chief secretary Jawaid Akhtar participated in the meeting.