Karnataka government has decided to sanction ₹50,000 to each Gram Panchayats (GPs) for effective Covid management at the grassroots level.

“The State government is planning to tackle the Covid second wave by forming a village task force committee at Gram Panchayat level and they will be empowered to access ₹50,000,” K Sudhakar, Minister for Health & Medical Education told reporters.

“The money sanctioned will be utilised mainly to identify Covid patients at village level and help patients shift to Covid Care Centres at taluk level,” he added.

The government is also making arrangements to provide 25 oxygen concentrators to each district which has a high number of Covid cases. “So far, the state has received 800 concentrators which will be distributed to districts with more cases. Especially districts like Hassan, Mandya, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Chitradurga where there is lack of facilities,” he said.

“We are working out a mechanism to provide more assistance to districts like setting up ICU facilities, providing more oxygen etc in all medical colleges located in the state. I am visiting Tumakuru and Chitradurga and will also be visiting Davangere, Haveri, Hubli and Gadag medical colleges later in the week to review the situation,” he added.

District administrations and all public representatives are being requested to participate actively in Covid containment. “At present the positivity rate is at 27 per cent. We are aiming to reduce it further by 5 percent,” said the minister.

Upgrade district hospitals

Deputy Chief Minister and State Covid task force head, Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, said Government hospital infrastructure would be upgraded by increasing the number of ICU beds and establishing oxygen generation plants in the district.

The minister visited the Maddur Taluk Hospital, Budanuru PHC on Thursday to inspect the Covid management and interacted with the medical personnel and patients.

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