Health Minister C. Vijayabhaskar inspected the Coimbatore ESI hospital along with Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani. He informed that a decision regarding another lockdown will be made by the CM only after consultation with senior ministers and a medical team.
Coimbatore: Health Minister C. Vijayabhaskar inspectedthe Coimbatore ESI hospital along with Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani. He informed that a decision regarding another lockdown will be made by the CM only after consultation with senior ministers and a medical team.
The ESI Hospital near Singanallur was inspected by the Health Minister C. Vijayabhaskar along with the Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani. District Collector K. Rajamani and other district administrators were present along with them.
The Health Minister arrived at the ESI and spoke to the doctors and nurses regarding the treatment being offered and about the patients admitted for treatment. Following this the COVID-19 wards were visited.
Both the Ministers met with the press following the inspection. Speaking to the media, Minister C. Vijayabhaskar said, "The Coimbatore ESI hospital has been offering exemplary treatment for COVID-19 cases and has won the appreciation of the Chief Minister. 280 patients who had been admitted with COVID-19, earlier had been treated well and were sent back home. Now 43 patients are being treated here. An analysis is being done to add 400 beds here. We are careful that the spread should not increase. However the government is prepared to handle an increase in the number of cases."
He further added, "It has become a challenging task to control the spread of COVID-19 in Chennai. Doctors and researchers have said that the virus has mutated. The new strain is more virulent hence people should be more careful. They must wear face masks and maintain social distancing. The decision regarding another lockdown will be made by the CM only after consulting with the senior ministers. A study by a doctors team will be used to aid the decision."
"COVID-19 patients are being treated only at government hospitals. If people have to remain home and get treated under the doctors' advice then they will be permitted to do so with certain restrictions and the government is planning on providing them with pulse oximeters. 20,000 pulse oximeters have been purchased for this purpose.
Private hospitals have been refusing to provide COVID-19 treatment and some have been charging excessively. Following these complaints the government had made arrangements to find out the availability of beds at private hospitals through cell phones. The CM's Integrated Insurance plan can also be used to get treatment at hospitals", he noted.
He denied the claims of plans being made to transfer COVID-19 patients from Chennai to other districts and said, "There are no plans to transfer COVID-19 patients from Chennai to other districts for treatment. There are enough facilities being made for COVID-19 patients in Chennai, this is just a rumour."
Following this Minister S.P. Velumani spoke to the press and informed, "The information about Chennai patients being transferred to other districts for treatment is just a rumour being spread by miscreants. This is condemnable and not healthy. The Corporation Administration and the local bodies are all working together with the Health department exceptionally well. The people must always ensure to wear face masks and maintain social distancing."