Faced with a challenge to combat the contagion of Covid 19 which has now spread to the rural areas, the state government has decided to implement a decentralised Covid care system in Uttarakhand. Informing about the plan, the Health secretary Amit Singh Negi told media persons here on Monday that under the new system one Covid Care Centre would be set up in every block of the state. He said that every block would also have a control room and arrangement of manpower for the CCC and control rooms would be made. Negi said that efforts are being made to operate mobile testing labs which would visit villages for collecting samples.

He claimed that in the last one month, a total of 2600 oxygen supported beds, 678 ICU and 192 ventilators have been added in the health system. “Now we have 6000 oxygen beds, 1495 ICU beds, 983 ventilators, 1500 oxygen concentrators and more than 10000 oxygen cylinders in the state,’’ he said.

The secretary further informed that 26900 telecommunications have been done from April 1 till date in the e- Sanjeevani portal and more than 1.10 lakh calls have been attended on the 104 helpline.

The secretary, Pankaj Kumar Pandey said that more people have been added to the expert committee for Covid headed by the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Medical University. The committee gives advice to the government on various aspects of the disease and its control. He asserted that the state government is ready to meet the challenge posed by the Mucormycosis (Black fungus). He said that people suffering from other critical illnesses, uncontrolled sugar, excessive use of steroids and those with low immunity levels are susceptible for the fungal infection. He said that 25 oxygen supported beds and ICU beds in the upcoming 500 bed facility in Rishikesh and Haldwani would be kept reserved for children. The Inspector General (IG) Police Amit Sinha said that action on 1.90 lakh people for not wearing masks has been taken.