VIJAYAWADA: A whopping Rs 4,031.31 crore has been spent for Covid-19 management in the State, including testing, contact tracing and treatment in notified Covid hospitals and Covid Care Centres and vaccination. Out of the total Rs 4,031.31 crore, districts were allocated Rs 1,573.30 crore for testing, contact tracing, transportation, quarantine, Covid Care Centres, IEC activities, mobility support to staff, administrative expenses and ex gratia to orphans. A sum of Rs 2,119.29 crore was spent for procurement of drugs, medicines, consumables and other personal protection equipment, procurement of ventilators, Truenat machines, and other medical equipment, installation of oxygen pipelines, negative pressure rooms and procurement of vaccine.
For the establishment of labs, procurement of lab reagents, kits and HR at labs, Rs 197.48 crore was spent. A total of Rs 51.34 crore was spent for OYO rooms, APTC, salaries to Covid staff, IT support activities, IEC activities, CC cameras in Covid hospitals, bulk SMS services, other office expenditure, internet connectivity and payment to police department.In the last two years, the State government has taken all measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, its prevention and management by engaging in regular surveillance, testing, and containment.
Treatment at notified Covid hospitals and Covid Care Centres, risk communication and community engagements, recruitment of additional staff for Covid hospitals and laboratories, helpline service through 104 call centre, hospital desk management and monitoring besides vaccination were some of the strategies adopted by the State to combat the Covid pandemic.
As per the data provided by Deputy Chief Minister (Health) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas to the Legislative Assembly during the Budget session, from a stage where the State lacked sufficient hospital and lab infrastructure to deal with Covid, it has risen to a stage where there are sufficient hospitals and beds equipped with oxygen supply, ICU beds and labs to test Covid.
With the decline in Covid cases in the State, District Collectors have been empowered to notify and den-notify hospitals based on the active caseload. All Covid Hospitals are equipped with adequate oxygen supply now. The availability of oxygen in every hospital is being monitored on hourly basis to avoid any shortage.
To ensure hospitals have adequate staff to handle Covid cases, 22,647 medical, nursing and paramedical staff were recruited on an ad hoc basis. Further, 104 call centre for Covid management is being run. In all, 39 rounds of fever surveys have been conducted so far. Covid tests are being conducted in an extensive manner by running 150 laboratories in the State, he added.
649 hospitals offered Covid treatment
During the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, 649 government and private hospitals with 47,169 beds, including 6,493 ICU beds, 23,203 non-ICU oxygen beds and 17,474 non-ICU non-oxygen beds, offered treatment to patients in the State