Brace for 3rd wave: CM Jagan Mohan Reddy

Amaravati: AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to wake up to the reality of yet another wave of Covid-19 pandemic as reports from several countries were depicting an alarming picture.

While reviewing the vaccination process against the virus here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister asked the officials to stock up oxygen concentrators at Primary Health Centres. He asked the officials to create a special wing for the maintenance of the same so that complications would not arise at the time of emergencies. Jagan directed the officials to take measures to set up oxygen generation plants at all 100-bed private hospitals in the first phase and extend to other hospitals later. He said the state government was providing 30 percent subsidy in setting up of oxygen generation plants and giving relaxation in power tariff.

The emphasis stems out of the fact that doctors continue to say that there isn't a good sense yet about whether the delta variant is more severe than the previous versions of coronavirus. Hence, vaccination along with stocking up of concentrators and oxygen cylinders and ensuring prime condition of the oxygen generation plants were the focal points of the review.

If all this meant recruitment of new staff, then the Medical and Health Department should go ahead with the same, he said. The Chief Minister also focused on the infrastructure of the hospitals and PHCs' seeking to upgrade their facilities. Greater coordination between the hospitals and maintenance department came for a review.