By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 May: Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat today instructed that the necessary arrangements be made to launch the Covid vaccinations for the age group 18-45. He said that the first consignment of the vaccines for this age group was reaching the state today itself and therefore the vaccination be started as soon as possible. The CM was reviewing the Covid situation in the state during a meeting held at the Secretariat, which was attended by senior bureaucrats and officials including Chief Secretary Om Prakash and DGP Ashok Kumar. Rawat said that due focus was necessary to bring down the Covid deaths rate which was worrisome. He added that decentralisation of the distribution of Covid drugs be adopted so that there was no delay in giving medicines and the medical kits. He also directed that strict action be taken against those who were violating the restrictions in respect of maximum number of persons permitted for gatherings .The Chief Minister said that special focus on the containment zone could prevent spread of the infection. He added that help be sought of the retired army personnel living in large numbers in the state in the war against the pandemic. The Chief Minister said that the Covid Protocol be taken care of at the Covid vaccination centres. As far as possible, vaccinations should be managed in big and open spaces. The Chief Minister said that strict action be taken against those who were black marketing essential drugs and oxygen and further directed audit of oxygen use by various hospitals to ensure proper usage of oxygen and to ensure better availability of oxygen. He also directed continuous power supply to the oxygen producing plants.
Chief Secretary Om Prakash said that it was necessary to assess requirements of the oxygen for the coming days before hand so that the arrangements could be made of tankers in accordance with the need. He urged that the state be better prepared in its fight against Corona keeping in view of the fact that the Corona virus was now changing strain.
Secretary Health Amit Negi said that there was sufficient availability of Remdesivir in the state and that a procedure had been worked out for the distribution of the same as per the need. The focus was now on breaking the chain of the infection and it was necessary to distribute the medicine kit to all those getting tested irrespective of the outcome of the tests. DGP Ashok Kumar said that the police had started Mission Hausala at the police station level with the objective of ensuring home delivery of medicines, ambulance service, oxygen cylinders and oxygen to the needy at their homes. Secretary Dr Pankaj Kumar Pandey informed the meeting in respect of the Covid situation and vaccinations. Information was also sought from various nodal officers appointed for Covid Management. In the video conferencing, senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary Manisha Panwar, Commissioners and District Magistrates were present.
