BENGALURU: In view of the third wave, the government on Tuesday decided to open fever clinics and set up Covid war rooms in all district headquarters and rural areas.
The decision was taken during chief minister Basavaraj Bommai’s virtual meeting with deputy commissioners and CEOs of 18 districts.
A direction was issued to take special care of the elderly and get them tested for Covid on priority if they show symptoms. “Fever clinics and Covid war rooms will help in tele-triaging and decide on the need for hospitalisation of a Covid-positive patient. Unnecessary hospitalisation will lead to panic and denial of beds for those who are really in need,’’ said health minister K Sudhakar.
Medical kits will be given at the doorsteps of those who are in home quarantine. The minister said 222 out of 244 new oxygen plants in government hospitals are functioning.
“Seventeen plants were to be installed by companies using their CSR funds but there was a delay. So, the government has taken up the responsibility of installing those units,” he said.
The CM expressed displeasure over the slow progress in administering booster (preventive) dose to frontline Covid warriors, he said. “As of now, just 39 per cent of warriors have taken the dose. We have instructed officials to speed up the drive. In the next 10 days, we are expecting significant improvement,” he added. According to Sudhakar, the state may see around 1.2 lakh cases during the peak of the third wave.
“In the best possible scenario, it may touch 80,000 cases a day if we take into account the report of the technical advisory committee. Cases are increasing as per experts’ prediction. Compared to the first and second wave, the spread of the virus in the third is five times faster. But it will also subside fast,” the minister said, adding that cases may start declining from the first or second week of February.
