Centre sends 150 AgVa ICU ventilators
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, April 29 2021: Even as the State is witnessing a surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases, the Centre has sent 150 AgVa ICU ventilators on Thursday.

The ventilators were sent by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under PM-CARES (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations) Fund to better prepare the State in facing the second wave of COVID-19 .

The life-saving equipment were formally received by Chief Minister N Biren Singh in a simple function held at the Durbar Hall of his Secretariat.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the ventilators can function as invasive and non-invasive with inbuilt battery backup of two hours.

90 such ventilators, provided earlier by the Centre are also currently functional in JNIMS, he said.

Centre sends 150 AgVa ICU ventilators

Apart from the ventilators, the Central Govern- ment has also provided 400 oxygen concentrators and 500 D-Type oxygen cylinders.

The State now has around 3000 D-Type cylinders.

The State has also received two RT-PCR machines from UNICEF and one each has been given to JNIMS and RIMS.

In order to have adequate oxygen supply, the Chief Minister said, oxygen generating plants would be opened at Thoubal and Churachandpur districts within 10-15 days.

Stating that prevention is the best means to get rid of the disease, N Biren said the State Government has started enforcing stricter SOPs and imposing hefty penalties against the violators.

Advising people to follow the SOPs strictly in every occasion including pilgrimage and religious ceremonies, he said violators including the hosts of events would be arrested.

The State Government is open to suggestions and opinions from the public for effective tackling of the pandemic, he added.

Meanwhile, to tackle the second wave of COVID-19, the Chief Minister met and sought the opinions of medical experts, bureaucrats and high ranking police officers at his Secretariat.

Education Minister S Rajen, Advisor to CM (Health) Dr S Ranjan, Special Secretary (Home) H Gyan Prakash, Additional Chief Secretary MH Khan, Principal Secretary (Health) V Vumlunmang, Commissioner (Education-S) T Ranjit, Director (Health) Dr K Rajo, JNIMS Director Prof K Bhimo, Shija Hospitals Managing Director Dr Kh Palin, Babina Group Managing Director Dr Th Dhabali, Imphal West DC N Praveen, Imphal East Additional DC Shamim Ahmad Shah, Imphal East SP H Jogeshchandra, Imphal West SP K Meghachandra and high ranking officers of Directorate of Health Services were present in the meeting.

During the meeting, N Biren Singh sought technical opinions on key points like manpower and material management, vaccination, nature of lockdown and containment zones and effective enforcement of SOPs etc.

Chief Minister assured the officials that there would be no dearth of funds and instructed them to acquire required equipment and manpower at the earliest.

He also asked them to increase Covid beds in hospitals and reactivate COVID-19 Care Centres as soon as possible.

N Biren Singh also expressed the need to utilise the manpower of the Education Department for assisting the officials of the Health Department in suitable tasks like making enquiry of home isolation patients.