CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has allotted ministers for every district to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 containment measures. Speaking at the first Cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat here on Sunday, he said, "The ministers should ensure full implementation of the lockdown. Oxygen is being supplied to both government and private hospitals under challenging circumstances. Ministers should see to it that the life-saving gas is used in a proper manner and not sold in black market at the hospitals."
He said the ministers must ensure that not even a single patient dies because of COVID-19.
Moreover, according to a health ministry’s order, Remdesivir drug is now being sold in Salem, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, Madurai, and Tirunelveli districts, apart from Chennai, for patients undergoing treatment in private hospitals. Stalin said, "The ministers would oversee the sale of the drug and ensure that it is not sold in black markets."
Listing out the responsibilities of ministers, Stalin said they should make sure that every patient who arrives at a hospital gets the medical assistance that he/she needs. "Necessary measures should be adopted to provide quality food to patients, doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff," he noted.
In coordination with the local body, health, police, and revenue officials, ministers should conduct awareness programmes to encourage the public to take the COVID-19 vaccine in every district, added Stalin.
A letter to the party cadre
Earlier, writing to his party cadre for the first time after assuming office as Chief Minister, Stalin assured good governance, which would be in sync with the peoples' aspirations. He assured an honest and a transparent administration and asserted that the government is for all the people. He urged the partymen to work towards resolving people’s problems by taking along workers of other parties in a spirit of friendship.