A technical committee in Karnataka has predicted that the state may soon be facing a second wave of coronavirus infections, state minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Thursday. To fight the fresh wave, Covid care centres are being revived, government hospital beds are being reserved for patients of the virus and the vaccination drive will be stepped up, he added.
"In the light of the beginning of the second wave - that is the perception of all of us - we have met with senior officers of the health and medical education department. The emphasis was on how to address the second wave if it is really going to bother us. So, the preparedness of hospitals in dedicating beds for Covid patients is one aspect," Dr Sudhakar, Karnataka's Health and Medical Education Minister, said.
The state-run hospitals have been asked to keep aside beds specifically for Covid patients. Dr Sudhakar said, "In Bangalore, as of now, we have earmarked over 1,000 beds for Covid patients in government facilities only."
Dr Sudhakar said that the state had learned from its past mistakes. Last year, sometimes, there was chaos at hospitals over admissions at the start of the pandemic.
"Help kiosks will be set up for Covid-related patients for smooth admission process. We have learnt from the past one year how we can effectively handle the situation. So, I have said there is no scope for our mistakes again. We have uniform specific treatment protocols in place now. We are very hopeful that we will handle this situation. We will try to prevent the second wave in a big way," he said.
"Our technical experts committee has given us a report that it looks like the second wave is coming in, so we are alert and know how to control the situation," he added.
Covid care centres are making a comeback in the state, he said.
"In all our government institutions we have earmarked a certain number of beds for Covid patients. And we are establishing three Covid care centres in Bangalore for less severe patients if they cannot isolate at home. From Monday, we will make them functional."
The state is also focusing on increasing daily vaccinations. It is hoping to vaccinate three lakh people every day against the illness.
"The government is very alert, and we want to curb this second wave as much as possible, though our neighbouring state, Maharashtra, has reported more than 23000 cases, which is a matter of great concern as five-six districts share borders with Maharashtra," he said.
Dr Sudhakar indicated that no fresh curbs were being announced right now.
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