HP government demands more masks, ventilators from Centre

There are only 60 ventilators available in the health institutions across the state. Apart from it, the state government has also demanded more N-95 masks.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday urged the Centre to provide more masks and ventilators to effectively fight Covid-19.

To date, 40 persons have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state of which 18 have been discharged after being cured. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

In a video conference, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur appealed to Union health minister Harsh Vardhan for ventilators in case of any eventuality.

There are only 60 ventilators available in the health institutions across the state. Apart from it, the state government has also demanded more N-95 masks.

The chief minister also apprised the Union health minister about various steps being taken by the state government to combat coronavirus pandemic.

The CM said that no case has been reported in six districts of the state. He said that more than 8,800 persons were under surveillance in the state, out of which 5,637 had completed a 28-day mandatory observation period while 3,210 were still kept under home or institutional quarantine.

Thakur added that the state has also tested 3,394 persons for Covid-19.

To date, 40 persons have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state of which 18 have been discharged after being cured, he said.

“Besides, four patients have been shifted out of the state for treatment,” said Thakur adding only one fatality was reported due to the virus in the state.

CM said that the government had set up 183 quarantine facilities across the state with the capacity to accommodate 9,200 persons.

The state has four Covid-19 testing facilities including IGMC, Shimla; Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Tanda; Insitute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (IHBT), Palampur and Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli.

The state government had notified five hospitals as dedicated Covid-19 hospitals.

These include Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Nerchowk in Mandi; ESIC Model Hospital, Katha in Baddi of Solan; Charitable hospital, Bhota in Hamirpur; Civil Hospital, Sarahan, in Sirmaur and Agarwal Hospital, Jwalamukhi in Kangra.

The CM added that more than 70 lakh persons were screened under the Active Case Finding campaign launched in the state earlier this month.