Ready to fight out third Covid wave: Health Minister Keshab Mahanta

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Health Minister Keshab Mahanta told the Assembly on Thursday that if the third wave hits the state the department is ready to fight it out.

The Minister said this while replying to the cut motion for Budget provisions for the Health and Family Welfare Department.

The Minister said, "We do not expect the third wave to hit Assam. But as precautionary measures, we have kept ICUs (Intensive Care Units) and PICUs (Pediatric Intensive Care Units) ready. Assam had only 400 ICUs before the Covid-19 hit the state. Now we have 1,540 ICUs. In addition to that, we have 3,850 oxygen-supported beds in the state. Our oxygen storage is more than enough. We supply oxygen to a few states of the Northeast. "In the first wave of Covid-19, as many as 1,105 people died, besides the death of 1,347 Covid-19 with comorbidity patients. In the second wave, 4,221 people died of the Covid-19 in the state.

"Till yesterday, while 95,33,326 people received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines, 20,45,555 others received both the doses.

"Till last night, we had 12 lakh vaccines available, and four lakh vaccines are supposed to arrive tonight. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took initiatives for the supply of vaccines that rests with the Centre now. If anybody does not get the second dose of vaccines for negligence on the part of officials, we will act against them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also favoured Assam in the supply of vaccines. We received more vaccines than in some other states.

"To boost the health sector, the government created 10,000 new posts. The Chief Minister asked us to fill up the technical posts first. The interview process will start this September.

"We will set up 1,000 new hospitals in the state to meet the rush of patients. The new budget has allocations for five new medical colleges in the state costing Rs 500 crore each. The construction will start as soon as we get lands for them. Assam has seven medical colleges now. The number of medical colleges in the state will be 23 within a few years.

"We will conduct a LAC-wise health survey involving health officials and local MLAs to ascertain the problems in the health sector."

Also Read: Assam Budget: 60% of District Hospitals Don't Have ICU Beds - Health Minister Keshab Mahanta

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