With COVID-19 positive cases rapidly rising in Puducherry, the territorial administration has come out with a series of measures, including temporary recruitment of doctors, paramedical staff, strengthening of Public Health Centres and sub-centres.
As more patients are getting added on a daily basis, the Health Department would soon start recruiting around 40 doctors and 200 paramedical staff, including nurses and technicians, Minister for Health Malladi Krishna Rao told The Hindu on Saturday over phone.
For the time being, the recruited staff would be deployed for duty during July, August and September, the Minister said adding that their tenure would be extended, if necessary. The doctors would be paid ₹45,000 per month and others ₹10,000 to ₹15,000, the Minister said.
The department had also decided to make 121 Primary Health Centres and sub-centres part of the novel coronavirus containment programme in the Union Territory.
The 40 PHCs would work round-the-clock while a second shift would be introduced in sub-centres. The centres would be given more staff, including doctors, he added.
“The move will certainly reduce dependency of people in rural and semi urban areas on GH and Jipmer for getting treatment for minor ailments. It will also help in early identification of people with COVID-19 symptoms,” Mr Rao said.
The Out Patient Units at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Research Institute, the designated COVID-19 hospital apart from Jipmer, will be gradually reduced.
As of now 225 patients are under treatment for the virus at the medical college, he said, adding the bed strength could be augmented at the most to 400 at the medical college. Already a few asymptomatic patients have been shifted to a private medical college and Government Dental college. The private hospitals have been directed to set aside 75 beds for treatment of COVID-19 patients immediately, the Minister said.
The government has also designated Secretary (LAD) Ashok Kumar, Secretary (Power) Devesh Singh, Secretary (Labour) E.Vallavan and Secretary (Rural Development) Ravi Prakasam for ground level COVID-19 duty. Health facilities within Pondicherry Municipality, Oulgaret, Villianur taluk and Bahour taluk would be divided among the officers to assess preparedness in government and private hospitals. They would be coordinating with Secretary (Revenue) and submit feedback to the Health Minister, Mr Rao said.
