GUWAHATI: COVID patients above the age of 50 who do not have separate toilet attached room in their house would be mandatorily shifted to coronavirus care centres or hospitals from Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
Assam is witnessing high casaulty rate due to coronavirus in the 50 plus population.
The chief minister also directed the authorities of the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) to take measures to ensure round-the-clock service to COVID patients.
He directed that immediate treatment must be given to sufferers of the virus even during late night and regular monitoring of the patients must be ensured by the on-duty doctors.
The chief minister was reviewing the functioning of GMCH in its fight against COVID-19 and took stock of availability of oxygen, essential medicine, ICU beds among others.
He emphasised on the importance of strengthening telemedicine system and directed for providing free oximeter to poor patients staying in home isolation.
He also instructed the health department for pressing 100 additional ambulances into service for quickly bringing patients to COVID care centres or COVID hospitals.
Measures have been taken to conduct one lakh tests daily in the state while 20 thousand people would be tested daily in Guwahati from May 17, Sarma told reporters after the meeting.
A new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for tea garden areas would be issued by the health department on Saturday, he said.
Steps have been also taken for providing food items worth Rs 2000 as one-time allowance to poor patients in the containment zones.
The chief minister also reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction of the 200 ICU bed COVID hospital at the car parking lot of GMCH, 24 ICUs at Kala Pahar COVID hospital here and signing of MoU between the state Government and DRDO for setting up a 300 bed COVID hospital at Sarusajai for which Rs 19 crore has already been released.
He said that there is enough stock of Remdesivir injection and oxygen in the state.
Sarma informed that 27,56,790 lakh people have been vaccinated till now in the state and 3,70,000 vaccines are available.
He said that Health Minister Keshab Mahanta has been continuously monitoring the situation in all parts of the state.
The Chief Minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the 200 ICU bed COVID hospital in the GMCH parking area.
He also enquired about the health condition of GMCH Superintendent Dr Abhijit Sarma who has tested COVID positive and has been hospitalised.
Political Secretary to the chief minister Jayanta Malla Barua, Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Anurag Goel, MD NHM Assam Dr. S. Laxmanan, Principal of GMCH Dr.
Achyut Baishya and senior doctors of GMCH were present in the meeting.