The Chhattisgarh government has geared up to cope with the predicted third wave of Covid-19 later this year with plans of massive infrastructure upgradation of state-owned hospitals.

The indication of the government’s seriousness to cope with the third wave so that it is not caught off-guard as in the second wave is evident with the statement of the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.

The ventilators and other medical equipment installed at the hospital

“The government will leave no stone unturned in strengthening the health infrastructure and in making the healthcare and medical facilities easily accessible to common people even in the remotest of the areas in state,” Baghel said in a communique issued by the state information and public relation department on Thursday.

Learning from the experience of the second wave of Covid-19, the Chhattisgarh government has started upgrading all the district hospitals and block-level hospitals, making them fully-equipped with all kinds of facilities.

“Chief minister has directed all the district collectors in 28 districts to submit an action plan for upgrading the hospitals and health centres, within 15 days. Directive has been issued by the chief minister personally that the work of healthcare infrastructure strengthening should be done as top priority so that even if the third wave strikes the state, we are ready to fight it with full force,” said an official in the chief minister’s office.

“In the last six months, facilities such as ICU, oxygen related equipment, beds, ventilators etc in these hospitals have been enhanced and upgraded to provide better treatment to the Covid patients. It is important to ensure proper maintenance and use of such medical equipment to prepare for the third wave of Covid. Recently, the number of doctors in community health centres has also been significantly increased in view of the need to further strengthen health management,” the chief minister said.

He has directed that an action plan for development of all the district hospitals and community health centres should be prepared as soon as possible. Under this plan, all the aforementioned hospitals should be made well-equipped with operation theatre, labour room, laboratory, ICU, ventilators, blood bank and free medicines etc. In addition, the facilities in these hospitals should be upgraded to provide 24x7 treatment facilities.

The health department of Chhattisgarh has been asked to appoint post graduate doctors of paediatrics, gynaecology, anaesthesia, pathology, medicine and surgery in the state owned hospitals.

“The chief minister has categorically asked the health authorities to ensure that in the places where post graduates are not available, arrangements should be made to appoint the doctors trained in these subjects. The district collectors have been asked to submit the proposal along with the budget requirement within 15 days,” said the information and pubic relation department official.

As on Friday, Chhattisgarh had a total of 10,682 active Covid cases.