Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, in a meeting with the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Tamil Nadu State branch, on Friday, is believed to have assured that the government would not seal private hospitals if a patient tested positive for COVID-19.
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C.N. Raja, State president of IMA-Tamil Nadu, said, “The Minister has asked all private hospitals to open. The government has assured that if a patient tests positive for COVID-19 in a private hospital, the establishment will not be shut or sealed. The premises will be sanitised and opened immediately. They have asked us to treat patients with co-morbidities.”
“With Tamil Nadu having the maximum number of testing facilities, the government has told us that persons covered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme can avail COVID-19 testing for ₹2,500. A committee is also revising the scheme package rates,” he added. Members of IMA were asked to report any instances of PPE being sold at high rates in the market.
“Committees with representatives from public and private sectors have been formed for every co-morbid condition such as hypertension, cardiac diseases, diabetes, kidney disease and malignancies. The mortality rate is high among those with co-morbid conditions. These committees will monitor and ensure that persons with such conditions get additional care,” Dr. Raja said.
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Among others, Health Secretary Beela Rajesh and Additional Secretary S. Nagarajan were present at the meeting.
Earlier during the day, the Minister visited the Government Medical College Hospital at Chengalpattu. A robot has been deployed to aid the care of COVID-19 patients at the hospital. He also visited a manufacturing unit of the Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited at Alathur, Chengalpattu. He inspected the manufacturing of Kabasura Kudineer, Nilavembu Kudineer and AYUSH medications at the unit. S. Ganesh, director of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, was present.
