Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi 

Udupi, May 24: The district in charge minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday, instructed officials to set up a room with 10 beds to facilitate the treatment of patients suffering from the black fungus infection.

Speaking on the status of Covid-19 in the district via video conference, Bommai said, "Medicines for the treatment of the black fungus will be sent to the district soon. As there are patients coming from outside the district there has been a demand for the concerned medicine and therefore more drugs will be sent to meet the demand. One person has succumbed to the black fungus infection in Udupi and one patient has been sent to Wenlock in Mangaluru for treatment."

Bommai also instructed the district administration to ensure that all patients undergoing Covid treatment are being treated under the Ayushman Health Karnataka Scheme.

He directed concerned officials to ensure that the Covid test results were issued within 24 hours so that the spread of the infection can be contained at an early stage. He further instructed that the secondary contacts of the infected persons undergo Rapid Antigen Test.

"Rural task force on Covid management should be more active. The pulse oximeter of those in home isolation should be monitored," he added. Bommai urged the administration to take measures to admit the patients whose SpO2 count is 93 to hospitals and those with 93 to 95 SpO2 to Covid Care Centre.

The minister said that doctors, nurses and paramedics should be assigned to work at Covid Care Centres. "An ambulance must be kept ready to ferry patients to hospitals in the case of an emergency at the Covid Care Center." He also instructed that the oxygen concentrators be installed at the centres.

Speaking at the meeting, MLC, Pratap Chandra Shetty said, "A grant of Rs 50,000 should be released to the gram panchayat soon. Former representatives and volunteer organizations should be included in the rural health workforce. Vaccine delivery in the villages should be arranged in a systematic manner and all Covid patients should be treated under Ayushman Health Karnataka Scheme."

MLA Raghupathi Bhatt, Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, Coastal Development Authority chairman, Mattaru Rathnakar Hegde, DC G Jagadeesh, zilla panchayat CEO, Dr Naveen Bhat, additional DC Sadashiva Prabhu, ASP Kumara Chandra, DHO Dr Sudhir Chandra Sooda, district surgeon Dr Madhusudan Nayak, Covid nodal officer, Dr Prashant Bhat and health department officials were present.