Chandigarh, May 2 - Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal today presided over a review meeting of doctors and officials at BPS Medical College, Gohana in the Sonipat district and reviewed the health arrangements made there for COVID-19 patients.

The Chief Minister said that the state's oxygen quota has been increased to 257 MT, now the number of oxygen beds will also be increased so that the COVID-19  patients can get  treatment easily.

The Chief Minister said that five oxygen plants will be started in the state soon and the equipment and machinery required for setting up these plants have been received firstly for five districts namely  Karnal, Panchkula, Hisar, Sirsa and Faridabad.  Professor Joginder Singh from  Sonipat district has been directed to work day and night to  make all these plants functional  on similar lines of Sonipat district.

For commissioning these oxygen plants, they will get all the required material ready ahead of time by the District Administration, for which necessary directions have been issued to the Deputy Commissioners, asserted the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that 100 doctors are ready for a degree internship at BPS Medical College Khanpur. All these doctors will be sent to each district immediately, as per the requirement.

The Chief Minister said that daily auditing of Oxygen should be done in all hospitals of the state so that there is no shortage of oxygen for any COVID-19 patient.

He said that along with the government machinery, voluntary organizations should also come forward so that patients who are in home isolation can get the delivery of essential items at their doorsteps only.

The Chief Minister further directed the officers that there should be no problem in the movement of food items due to the lockdown and the setting of containment zones.  In order to prevent black marketing during this period, the Food and Supplies Department should fix the rate of commodities and ensure a list of rates is displayed outside all food shops.

He said that the rate list of charges by the ambulances should be displayed in every hospital so that people do not face any problem while paying them.  With this, a  rate list of oxygen beds, ventilator beds, normal beds in every hospital should also be displayed on the notice boards in all the hospitals so that no patient visiting any hospital is exploited. 

He said that the government would not refrain from taking any strict step to break the infection chain.  Every patient infected with COVID-19  will be thoroughly monitored and treated, he asserted.

The Chief Minister said that a plan to set up a 10 MT container of oxygen in BPS  Khanpur is being made.   Along with this, medical oxygen plant would also be set up in the hospital soon.  The oxygen quota of the Sonipat district has been increased to 13 MT, he said.

"There is no shortage of funds for the treatment of patients.  I urge the doctors to build a healthy and positive relationship with the patients and also to boost their morale so that they become mentally strong", said Sh. Manohar Lal.