531 doctors registered as volunteers to provide services in Govt. hospitals : Balbir Singh Sidhu

531 doctors registered as volunteers to provide services in Govt. hospitals: Balbir Singh Sidhu         

Chandigarh, April 6

           To provide services in Government hospitals, 531 Doctors, 4680 Nurses, 2056 pharmacist and 1648 Lab Technicians come forwarded and registered themselves as volunteers to combat with COVID-19 pandemic. Giving these details in a press communiqué released here today, the Health Minister  Balbir Singh Sidhu said that as far as human resource is concerned, the Health department has witnessed overwhelming response from doctors and paramedical staff across the State. He said that apart from regular and contractual specialists, doctors and para medical staff those are tirelessly working in public hospitals, hundreds of Doctors and high number of paramedical staff has registered themselves as volunteers and they all are willing to provide their services to combat with COVID-19 pandemic.  He said that about 8201 Ward attendants and 243 Radiographers has also registered as volunteers.

        Balbir Singh Sidhu divulged that  Doctors and other Health staff working in public hospitals including Doctors and paramedical staff in private Hospitals, Nursing homes & Diagnostic labs etc. be allowed movement without curfew pass on the basis of their photo identity cards issued by Medical Council of India (MCI) and India Medical Association (IMA) etc. He said that instructions have already been issued to keep open Chemists shops, hospitals including OPDs, drug-de addiction centres & OOAT Clinics, nursing homes, AYUSH practitioners and diagnostic laboratories etc.

       He said that taking serious note of shutdown of operations by several private hospitals, the Punjab Government has decided on strict action against such hospitals, with the Chief Minister suggesting that the health department should cancel the licences of hospitals refusing to treat COVID-19 patients.  He said that instructions have been issued to the all Civil Surgeons in this regard. The Health Minister further clarified that a patient is declared cured by health department only when two samples taken at least a day apart are negative after testing. These patients are no longer infective and can not infect any other person. So these patients should be welcomed back in their communities and can resume their day to day activities like any normal person.

        Sidhu added that to take care of COVID patients, 5000 isolation beds have been identified, of which 2500 are already operational. Beside this, COVID Care Isolation Centers have been planned each having a capacity of 500-1000 beds for COVID patients with very mild symptoms or no symptoms. These will be situated in various hostels, deras and other such places. He said that all critical COVID patients will be refer to three Government Medical Colleges.  “There is adequate supply of PPE kits, N95 masks and triple layer masks which is being provided to all districts and Government Medical Colleges”, he added. The Minister also apprised that there have been 79 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state while 2384 persons have been tested. 4 persons have been declared cured so far.

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