Himachal Pradesh may impose further restrictions to check COVID-19

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 22 (ANI): Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presided over a meeting with the district level officers at Mandi to review the COVID-19 situation in the Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.
In the meeting, the Chief Minister said, "Keeping in view the upsurge in the COVID-19 cases in the state, the government would consider imposing a few restrictions to avoid social gatherings and ensure that people take all necessary precautionary measures. It is also important to regularly monitor the COVID-19 positive cases kept in home isolation as that number is more than those admitted in hospitals."
According to the press release, the CM directed to ensure checking of fever and oxygen level of such patients besides educating them to take medicine properly in a regular manner. He also stressed that these patients should be served hot food and water so that their condition does not deteriorate further due to cold.
Jai Ram Thakur said," The health authorities should make efforts to motivate the attendants to attend their patients admitted in the hospitals by providing PPE kits to make patients feel better."
He added, "COVID-19 patients should be referred to major hospitals at an early stage so as to increase the survival rate."
He said that efforts should be made to hand over the dead bodies of the COVID-19 patients early so as to avoid embarrassment to the family members of the deceased.
During the presentation, in the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur said, "47,935 samples have been taken for COVID-19 so far in the district and 5,390 people were tested positive. There are 1,178 active cases in the district and 4,147 have been cured while the fatality rate is 1.22 per cent. In the district, 37 per cent of cases of COVID-19 are from urban areas while 62 per cent are from rural areas. In all, 66 deaths have been reported in the district so far. The maximum cases have been found in Pandoh Gram Panchayat where 199 positive cases have been reported."
"A presentation was also made by the health department in which it was informed that PCR testing is being done at Medical College Ner Chowk," according to the press release.
The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Devender Sharma, said, "Medical kits are being provided to the patients at the district level COVID-19 Care Centres and for home isolation. They are also being given healthy food. The district has an adequate supply of PPE kits, masks and sanitizers."
The principal of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College at Ner Chowk, R.C Thakur in his presentation said, " The hospital has a facility of 118 dedicated beds for serious COVID-19 patients and dialysis facility has also been started for COVID-19 patients, which has helped in saving lives of over 70 per cent patients. The hospital is also providing round the clock emergency service besides e-OPD service on regular basis. The strength of doctors and other staff members has been enhanced for ensuring proper treatment of COVID-19 patients."
He further added that under the Him Suraksha Abhiyan being launched by the state government from 25-27 November for active case finding, the medical history of the entire 11 lakh population of the district Mandi would be taken, by the team of the health department, to ascertain how many of them are suffering from tuberculosis, hypertension, COVID-19, leprosy diseases. Besides this, special focus would also be given to examine elderly people for different diseases.
Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh Thakur, MLA Prakash Rana, Sub-Divisional Officers of the district and senior officers of the health and police department attended the meeting. (ANI)