Mangaluru: Anticipating a surge in Covid-19 cases in the near future, the Dakshina Kannada (DK) district administration is ramping up its health infrastructure. The focus is on increasing the number of beds in government and private medical college hospitals, as well as increasing the number of oxygen beds. All the beds at Wenlock Hospital and in taluk hospitals and community health centres will be converted into oxygen beds.
This was the broad consensus arrived at a special meeting that district minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari chaired at the DK zilla panchayat on Friday. Procurement of rapid antigen test kits, supply of additional oxygen cylinders for the government healthcare set up, especially for primary healthcare centres to meet exigencies and roping in NGOs who can provide oxygen services to those in home quarantine, formed the thrust of the plan.
Deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said that with the possibility of a surge in Covid-19 cases due to increased testing, and experts warning about the peak being yet to come, advance preparedness is the key to remaining ahead of the curve. An action plan has been drawn up to ensure that all the beds in Wenlock Hospital, taluk hospitals and even CHCs have centralised oxygen systems, so that they are ready to treat more patients, she said.
Dr Rathnakar Ganiga, in-charge district health and family welfare officer, said 180 oxygen cylinders have been procured out of which 90 will be kept at the disposal of Wenlock Hospital and the rest shared among PHCs as well as taluk hospitals and CHCs that need them.
Wenlock Hospital will get an additional 25 ventilators to go with the existing 36 that they already have, he said, adding that an agreement has been made with the private healthcare sector in DK on using 130 ventilators available with them, in case the need arises. Nodal officers have been deputed for each private hospital, to take stock of their infrastructure and reserve 50% of their beds for Covid-19 patients, if the district administration must cross that bridge, he noted.