Fully prepared to tackle COVID-19, Punjab govt tells PM

Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh on Thursday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state's health machinery was prepared to fight the situation arising out of the coronavirus outbreak.

Singh and Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta attended a meeting held by the prime minister with all chief ministers via video-conferencing which Amarinder Singh could not attend due to a Congress Working Committee meet, an official statement said here. The chief secretary also pointed out that strict enforcement of the curfew was being ensured by the civil and the police administration, it said.

He informed the prime minister that the Punjab chief minister was personally monitoring the situation and all deputy commissioners had been directed to ensure supply of essential commodities and services.

He told the PM that a Group of Ministers was taking stock of the situation on a daily basis and a state control room was set up to review the preparedness and address all issues related to COVID-19, the statement said. The chief secretary also informed Modi that the state government had roped in tertiary care centres and hospitals to provide healthcare facilities to the suspected as well as infected patients, it said.

As many as 1,380 beds and 101 ventilators have been demarcated in government hospitals in Faridkot, Amritsar and Patiala for COVID-19 patients, the prime minister was told. Karan Avtar Singh also informed the prime minister that 51 private labs had been allowed to test for coronavirus infection, the statement added.

In view of the prevailing situation, the state government was contemplating using a cab aggregator-like platform for transport of foodgrain harvested by farmers, the chief secretary informed the prime minister. Meanwhile, PM Modi asked the state administration to give special attention to testing, tracing, isolation and quarantine of suspected cases, the statement said.

He also directed the CS to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines, medical equipment and movement of raw material for medicines, it said. Emphasising the need for special care for doctors and healthcare providers, Modi said all of them should be provided personal protective equipment, gloves and masks, the statement further said. The prime minister stated that immunity guidelines sent by the department Of Ayush should be shared with all citizens and widely publicised.

Retired defence personnel/GOG, NGOs, NCC, NSS and volunteers should be involved at the local level for better management of COVID-19, he said. Data regarding testing from authorised labs should be shared on a daily basis with the central government, Modi said, adding that district surveillance officers should be recruited to further strengthen the existing system. 

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