Bhubaneswar: The state government, Friday, sought 5 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare professionals engaged in various hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients.
State Health & Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das raised this demand before Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during a meeting held through video-conferencing, Friday.
Laying emphasis on safety of doctors treating the COVID-19 patients in the state, Das urged the Union Health Minister to provide 5 lakh PPE kits, sufficient Hydroxychloroquine, Vitamin-C tablets, N-95 masks and sanitisers for safety of the frontline healthcare workers engaged to treat patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seeking more COVID-19 RT-PCR testing kits, Das also sought permission to set up testing facilities at state-run healthcare institutions including VIMSAR at Burla, Bhima Bhoi Medical College and Hospital in Bolangir and SLN Medical College & Hospital in Koraput.
The minister further requested the Centre to release more funds for tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The Centre has so far approved `46.35 crore for the purpose. He also demanded 5,000 RNA extraction equipment to meet the requirement. At present, the state is having only 300 such equipment.
Briefing about state’s initiative to tackle spread of COVID-19, Das informed Harsh Vardhan that state government has extended the lockdown period till April 30.
He informed the minister about opening of special COVID hospitals with around 1,519 beds in the state.