ITANAGAR, Jul 23: Health Secretary P Parthiban has said that work for setting up a Covid-19 hospital at the MLA apartments here has started.
He said it would be a 40-bedded hospital with ICU, OT and dialysis facilities.
The health secretary also informed that the dedicated Covid health centre (DCHC) in Midpu would be made operational by 31 July.
“DCHC Midpu is almost on the verge of completion. However, the Covid hospital at MLA apartments will take some time to get ready,” he said.
He also said that Chief Minister Pema Khandu will convene a meeting with top officials of the armed forces based in the state to discuss the growing cases of Covid-19 among their personnel.
“Twenty-five percent of Covid-19 cases in the state are from the armed forces. Their numbers are increasing and it’s a matter of concern,” Partibhan said.
“In the meeting, a strategy will be worked out to bring the armed forces under one single standard operating procedure umbrella being followed by the state government,” he said.
The state government has also decided to procure machines to start plasma therapy treatment for Covid-19 patients.
“Plasma therapy treatment will be initially started at the TRIHMS and Pasighat. After that, machines will be provided to all the zonal hospitals to start this treatment,” the health secretary said.
He said the state government has procured 14 TrueNat machines to start testing for Covid-19 in the state, and that another 12 machines will soon arrive.
“This is being done to conduct tests in the district itself,” Parthiban said.
“Further, the state government has acquired 1.5 lakhs antigen test kits,” he said. “These kits are enough to conduct tests for another two months. The government has placed Rs 7 crore to buy more kits.”
The state government has also received 50 ventilators under the PM Care Fund, which have been distributed across the state.
On the growing number of cases in the Itanagar capital region, the health secretary expressed confidence that during the remaining period of the lockdown, local transmission would be contained.
“We are sure in the next 10 days we will contain the spread by conducting more tests and isolating the infected persons. The antigen tests at entry check gates too have started. Yesterday four cases of drivers testing Covid-19 positive was reported from various parts of the state. Hopefully, all these measures will work to stop the spread of the virus,” he added.
The health secretary also informed that 20 ambulances were ordered in May and they have started arriving in the state “in a phased manner.”
