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Himachal logs 3,396 infections, 69 deaths
Highest 17 fatalities were reported in Kangra, 11 in Shimla, seven each in Hamirpur, Sirmaur and Solan, six each in Mandi and Una, three each in Bilaspur and Kullu and one in Lahaul-Spiti
Himachal Pradesh’s Covid-19 case tally rose to 1,70,074 as 3,396 more people tested positive on Wednesday while the death toll mounted to 2,516 after 69 patients succumbed to the contagion.
Of the new cases, 897 were reported in Kangra, 442 in Shimla, 389 in Mandi, 354 in Solan, 298 in Hamirpur, 253 in Sirmaur, 229 in Bilaspur, 187 in Una, 176 in Chamba, 109 in Kullu, 48 in Kinnaur and 24 in Lahaul-Spiti.
Highest 17 fatalities were reported in Kangra, 11 in Shimla, seven each in Hamirpur, Sirmaur and Solan, six each in Mandi and Una, three each in Bilaspur and Kullu and one in Lahaul-Spiti.
Recoveries climbed up to 1,32,406 after 3,090 people recuperated while there are 35,124 active cases.
Kangra remains the worst hit district with 37,988 infections and is followed by Mandi with 23,016 cases and Shimla 21,653 cases.
Solan has logged total 19,698 cases, Sirmaur 13,067, Hamirpur 12,022, Una 10,982, Bilaspur 10,649, Chamba 8,466 , Kullu 7,611, Kinnaur 2,491 and Lahaul-Spiti 2,431.
3,000 health employees outsourced by HP govt
Himachal chief minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed concern over the high number of Covid deaths in the district and stressed on immediate shifting of home-isolated serious patients to health institutions for proper treatment.
He was reviewing the situation prevailing due to Covid in Kangra. The chief minister said that the state government had increased the bed capacity from 1,500 to about 5,000 to cater to the rising number of Covid patients.
He said the central government has increased the Himachal’s oxygen quota from 15 MT to 30 MT and the state government has also urged to further enhance the oxygen quota by 10 MT.
Thakur said that keeping in view the gravity of the situation, the state government was also increasing ICU beds in the health institutions.
He said that 20 additional ventilators have been provided at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Tanda and 25 at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla. He said that arrangements have been made to ensure adequate supply of oxygen at the Nurpur civil hospital.
The chief minister ordered to deploy adequate staff in the health institutions and for the purpose, the state government has recruited about 3,000 employees on outsource basis.
Efforts are being made to make fresh appointments in health institutions to further strengthen the staff,” he said.
The chief minister said that HP government has also issued SOPs for the management of Covid victims’ bodies and provide financial assistance to next of kin of the deceased to carry the body to their native places if they wish to.
Thakur said that efforts must be made to strengthen the home isolation mechanism as more than 90% of the Covid patients were at home.
He said that elected representatives such as MLAs, pradhans, BDC members, zila parishad members and ward members must actively participate in strengthening the home isolation mechanism by keeping in touch with the family members of the corona patients.
He said that usually, the delay in shifting the patients from home isolation to hospitals results in their worsening health and eventual death.
He said that paramedical staff must also regularly monitor the health parameters of the home-isolated patients.
Thakur also launched a home isolation kit, Sanjeevni, for Covid patients.
He said that the kit would be provided to every patient in home isolation.
He also interacted with Covid patients admitted to the zonal hospital in Dharamsala and RPGMC, Tanda through videoconferencing.
Besides enquiring about their health, he also asked about the treatment and quality of service being provided to them in the hospital.
Thakur also took stock of the progress of makeshift Covid hospital coming up at Paraur and directed the executing agency to complete the facility at the earliest. He was apprised that this hospital would be completed within two to three days.
He said a severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) ward had been made functional at ayurvedic hospital in Dehra. He said that a similar ward was also opened at Palampur a few days ago.
Secretary, health, Amitabh Awasthi, also joined the event virtually from Shimla.
Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Prajapati made a detailed presentation on Covid situation in Kangra district.
