The Maharashtra Urban Development Minister, Eknath Shinde on Tuesday directed the state administration to take all necessary measures to keep the Covid morbidity rate below 5 per cent. Care should be taken of patients in home quarantine and if necessary, the President and Secretary of the concerned societies should be given temporary powers as special police officers, Shinde said.

While the number of Covid patients are increasing in Maharashtra, the demand for Remdesivir medication is also shooting up. Therefore, care should be taken that the drug is not black marketed and an artificial shortage is created, Shinde said in a media statement.

Addressing a Covid review meeting, which was attended by the divisional commissioners, collectors and municipal commissioners of Konkan, Pune and Nagpur, Shinde said that care needs to be taken to ensure that the number of corona patients does not increase uncontrollably.

He directed to take measures such as stamping the hands of the patients in home quarantine, affixing stickers on patients houses, putting up banners in the premises, taking care that no outsider enters the containment zones.

Efforts should be made to reduce mortality, for which separate wards should be set up for patients with co-morbidities, special care should be taken of female patients in Covid treatment centres. Vigil should be mounted to ensure that no malpractice occurs, senior officials should visit such sites in person. Fans, air coolers should be provided to the patients are summer is building up and care should be taken to ensure that there is no short circuit of electrical equipment, he said.

In order to ensure regular supply of blood, blood donation camps should be organized by contacting various NGOs and political parties and office bearers. He also suggested that the crowds should be regulated, special campaigns should be launched for wearing masks.

Additional funds will be sanctioned in consultation with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar as well as through the Urban Development Department. All necessary measures should be taken to overcome the pandemic, taking care that there will be no funding shortage, Shinde said.

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