Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday
urged the Centre to give flexibility to states to devise their local strategies
for Covid vaccination, within the broad parameters of the Centre’s approach,
while seeking a review of the strategy to allow all adults in high-risk areas
to be immunized, along with patients with liver and kidney disease below the
age of 45.
Captain Amarinder made these suggestions in a letter
written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately after the latter’s VC
meeting with chief ministers of all states to review the Covid and vaccination
situation. During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister
of the situation in the state, and also the steps taken by his government to
control and manage the disease. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present
at the meeting, during which the Chief Minister assured the Centre of all-out
efforts by his government to contain and manage Covid. He stressed on the fact
that the UK variant which is dominating the second wave in the state, is
reported by experts to be more virulent and affecting the youth
disproportionately.
In his subsequent letter, the Chief Minister said his
suggestions, some of which had been earlier submitted on March 17 to the PM,
the Union Minister and the Union Health Minister, were based on the state
government’s interaction with independent experts.
Amid reports of some states facing vaccine shortages, Captain Amarinder also requested the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to share the schedule for supply of vaccines with the States over the next quarter, based on their confirmed supply orders.
Given that over 80% positive cases found in Punjab are of
the UK variant, as per early reports from central laboratories, the Chief
Minister also sought strengthening of viral sequencing in the state, which has
been reporting around 3000 cases per day since the last 15 days, with around 8%
positivity. The state currently has around 26,000 active cases with recovery
rate of 87.3%, with death a matter of concern at 50-60 deaths a day and around
2% Case Fatality Rate (CFR) in the second surge, which struck the state in the
latter half of February this year.
The Chief Minister reiterated his earlier request for
covering all teachers and staff in all educational institutions for vaccination
to enable resumption of physical classes once the surge abates. Also,
occupation-based immunization for judges & judicial officers, bus drivers
& conductors, elected representatives at all levels, etc should be allowed
to take the vaccination, he stressed.
Captain Amarinder also urged the Prime Minister to direct
central institutions like IISER, IMTech, AIIMS Bathinda and PGIMER, Chandigarh
to increase the RT-PCR testing from Punjab. Further, PGIMER, Chandigarh should
be asked to earmark at least 50 Covid ICU beds for patients being referred by
the State, he added.
Currently, 55% Health Care Workers and around 90% Front Line
Workers have got the 1st dose of vaccine, the Chief Minister earlier told the
Prime Minister during the virtual meeting, while disclosing that more than 8.9
lakh persons aged 45+ have taken first dose of vaccination. Daily vaccinations
have increased from 20,000 per day in mid-March to around 85-90,000 per day,
with maximum of 1.32 lakh vaccinations on 3rd April. “We are targeting around 2
lakh per day by the end of this month.,” he said.
Extensive social media campaign is being undertaken through
Mission Fateh to address the mis-information regarding COVID and vaccination
hesitancy, he informed the Prime Minister, adding that all public healthcare
facilities upto PHC levels have started working as COVID Vaccination Centres,
thereby making the facility available to the public in their vicinity. All
public health facilities have started vaccination on all 7 days of the week,
while more private healthcare facilities are being motivated to work as COVID
Vaccination Centres, he added.
Sharing the overall testing figures for the state, Captain
Amarinder said 40,000 COVID tests per day (yesterday 44,250) are being
conducted, of which more than 90% are RT-PCR and less than 10% Rapid Antigen
Test (RAT). Punjab’s testing per million
is higher than national average, and is now being increased to 50,000 per day,
he added.
On the treatment facilities, he disclosed that bed
occupancy at present is between 15-20% at Level-2 and Level-3. The State
Experts Group holds daily review meeting at 7.30 p.m. with all Level-2 and
Level-3 public & private healthcare facilities for effective management of
COVID patients. Private hospitals managing Level-2 and Level-3 patients have
been advised to postpone elective surgeries by two weeks with a view to create
more beds for COVID patients.
Further, said the Chief Minister, 25 Advanced Life Support
and 300 Basic Life support ambulances are available for shifting of patients.
The State has engaged around 4,000 additional medical & paramedical
manpower in the last one year. There is adequate availability of drugs &
consumables required for management of COVID patients, including Remdesivir
injection and other anti-viral drugs, he added.
Giving a sense of the reasons for the surge, the Chief
Minister apprised the meeting that the primary driver of the spread appeared to
be fatigue/ laxity in following COVID appropriate behavior, large political,
social and religious gatherings, and efforts at normalization such as opening
of schools and Colleges. High positivity was being seen in younger population,
he pointed out.
On the measures taken by his government to check the
spread, Captain Amarinder informed the meeting that a complete ban has been
imposed on political gatherings till 30th April, along with night curfew across
all districts from 9 pm to 5 am. Restrictions had been imposed on numbers in
outdoor and indoor social gatherings, and in cinema halls and malls, while all
educational institutions and Anganwadi Centres had been closed and school
examinations postponed.
Persons not wearing masks are compulsorily taken for RT-PCR
testing, with 2 lakh such people taken
by police for RT-PCR testing, 43,000 persons issued challans, more than 250
persons arrested and more than 200 FIRs lodged against the violators. COVID
Monitors had been appointed in all Hotels, Restaurants & Marriage Palaces
to ensure COVID appropriate behaviour, he added. For the safety of
non-vaccinated Health Care Workers and also the safety of the public, all such
workers were being mandatorily asked to undergo testing, said the Chief
Minister.
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