SHILLONG, April 27: Health Minister AL Hek on Tuesday said the government has set the target of completing the process of installing three oxygen generating plants in the state by May 20.
The Centre had recently approved these plants to be set up in Meghalaya for combating the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A plant each will be set up in East Khasi Hills, West Garo Hills and West Jaintia Hills district.
Giving an update on the supply of oxygen in the state, Hek said, “As of now, we have manageable supply… we are getting three new plant from PMCARES Fund and we are ready to create the infrastructure.”
He added vendors who would supply the oxygen and equipment will come and install the plants by May 20.
The procurement for establishing the plants will be done through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The PMCARES Fund had earlier this year allocated Rs 201.58 crore for the installation of 162 dedicated pressure swing adsorption plants inside the public health facilities in the country.
The basic aim behind establishing these plants at government hospitals in the district headquarters was to strengthen the public health system and ensure that each of these hospitals has a captive oxygen generation facility.
The Health Minister also resented the fact that many COVID positive people have provided false phone numbers to go underground.
He said the Health Department was aware of these cases and taking measures to address the problem. “We have called back about 15 such people,” he added.
Hek said he would ask the NHM Mission Director to examine the possibility of providing a dedicated team at the entry point to verify the phone numbers of people who test positive.
The Minister had earlier held a review meeting at the Shillong Civil Hospital and instructed that there should not be any shortage of equipment, beds and ventilators for the patients.
Hek also said private hospitals should not be charging beyond the government-approved rates for RAT and RT-PCR. “If anybody brings receipts, we will surely take it up,” he said.
When contacted, NHM Mission Director, Ramkumar said that authorities were on the job to trace those COVID positive patients who have gone off the radar after providing false contact numbers to the authorities manning the Umling entry point.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo informed that the list of people who are untraceable have been shared with magistrates who would forward the list to the COVID management teams so that they may be isolated.
Details of those people who remain untraced due to lack of contact information have been forwarded to the East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, she added.
