From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 16: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure monthly supply of at least 1.5 crore vaccine doses to Karnataka.
The Chief Minister made the request during a video conference that the Prime Minister held with all Chief Ministers of States for reviewing the Covid situation in the country.
The Prime Minister urged the Chief Ministers to be vigilant and cautious with Covid infections on the rise in Europe and several other countries in the recent past and exhorted all the States and Union Territories to be prepared to face the possible Covid Third Wave. It is necessary to make all preparations and improve the healthcare facilities to meet the situation, Modi said.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the newly appointed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandoviya as well as senior officials of the Union Government participated in the video conference along with the Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister that Karnataka has managed to bring down the Covid 19 cases. The number of fresh cases was 1,900 in the State while it was around 400 in Bengaluru. The positivity rate has come down to 1.42% and mortality rate was lowered to 1.25%, he said.
Yediyurappa said Karnataka has administered a total of 2.63 crore doses of Covid vaccine so far. The State needs a daily supply of 5 lakh doses and 1.5 crore doses every month to cover the entire eligible population by the year-end, he said.
The State Government has authorised the Deputy Commissioners of districts to impose or relax the Covid control restrictions based on the positivity rate, total number of infections and also the advice of the Covid management technical advisory committee of experts. Strict instructions have been issued down the line to strictly follow the Covid protocols, the Chief Minister said.
Karnataka gearing up for Third Wave
Yediyurappa said the State Government was fully geared to face the possible Covid Third Wave. Oxygenated beds, ventilator beds and paediatric ICUs and other essential facilities have been increased along with augmenting the availability of doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians as well as analysts besides procuring essential drugs and equipment. New RTPCR Laboratories and Genome Sequencing Laboratories are also being established across the State.
The State Government urged the Prime Minister to enhance the supplies of vaccine doses to face the possible third wave and also arrange 800 neo-natal and paediatric ventilators under the PM-Cares Funds.
Karnataka also needs 50 PSA Oxygen Production Units for the Taluk Hospitals, the Chief Minister said appealing for decentralisation of the liquid medical oxygen supplies. Mucomyrcosis Amphotericin-B and IVCG supplies for children must also be substantially increased, Yediyurappa said.
State Deputy Chief Ministers Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Govind M Karjol, Revenue Minister R Ashok, Home and Law Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, Kannada and Culture and Forests Minister Aravind Limbavali as well as Chief Secretary P Ravikumar and other senior officials were part of the video interaction with the Prime Minister on behalf of Karnataka government.