NASHIK: The state government has written to all the district administrations directing them to prepare their plan to deal with Covid cases during the third wave of the pandemic.
In his letter (dated July 20) to all the district collectors, chief executive officers of all the Zilla Parishads, municipal corporations and civil surgeons, Dr Pradeep Vyas, the additional chief secretary of the public health department, has stressed on the need to prepare for the third wave at the earliest.
According to him, the state may report about 60 lakh Covid cases during the third wave and hence all plans need to be in place to deal with Covid patients, who need hospitalisation.
“The central government guidelines ask the state government to be prepared at the rate of 1.5 times the peak of the second wave. So all the authorities concerned need to prepare for the situation during the third wave. Accordingly, the state has directed us to prepare for the same and issued a set of guidelines,” said Dr Ashok Thorat, the civil surgeon of Nashik district.
The state government has said collectively, including all the local self-governing bodies and the district collectors, have to prepare for a peak of 12.95 lakh cases in the third wave. The peak in the second wave was 8.03 lakh cases in the state.
In his letter, Vyas has also provided a long list of requirements of beds, medicine, oxygen, ventilators, oxygen cylinders.
According to the officer, Nashik district had 52,954 active cases on April 29, which was the peak time in the second wave. Hence, the likely number of cases during the peak of the third wave can be 79,431 cases. Considering 65% of patients will be home isolated, 27,801 patients may need to be hospitalised while 51,630 can be home isolated.
The state has, therefore, asked the district authorities to prepare for 556 ICU beds in public hospitals, and 4,448 beds with oxygen supplies. The district is likely to require 114 metric tonne of oxygen during the peak period.
“There is also a huge list of medicines that has to be arranged. While the Government of India has already decided to supply the same, we will get the quota accordingly. In a couple of days, the list and the stock of medicines required will be finalised,” Thorat said.
