Haryana saw 1st Covid case on March 17, 2020: Vij

Chandigarh, Aug 24 The first Covid-19 case was reported in Haryana on March 17, 2020, in Gurugram district, state Health Minister Anil Vij informed the Assembly on Tuesday.

To combat the pandemic, the state has extended the Haryana Government Epidemic Disease Covid-19 Regulations of 2020 under the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 till March 31, 2022.

In a written reply to a question, Vij, who was not present in House, said since the onset of the virus the Health Department has been working continuously towards effective tackling of the situation.

Concrete steps have been taken to mobilise the available resources in medical colleges and rationalize the strategic use of available infrastructure and equipment, etc, for both Covid and non-Covid patients.

During its first wave, emphasis was to ensure timely supply of essential items like PPE Kits, N-95 masks, triple layer masks, sanitizers, etc.

Further, as part of contingency plan and expected rise in cases steps were undertaken to ensure increase of testing capacity in medical colleges and installation of RT-PCR machines, extraction kits, employment of requisite human resources, etc, to increase the testing capacity and manage the critical patients.

During last year the emphasis was more on improving the infrastructure, ensuring timely supply of essential items, increasing the capacity establishment of plasma banks, strengthening the ICUs for managing critical in patients, engaging medical colleges for participation in research by conducting clinical trials for development of vaccines and newer treatment modalities.

Considering the number of patients admitted along with the requirement of oxygen during the last year, the department had sufficient level of medical oxygen available, he said.

A day earlier, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar informed the Assembly that his government would set up a committee to probe possible negligence by hospitals in treating Covid patients.

He reiterated that no death due to oxygen shortage had been recorded in the state during the second wave of the pandemic.

"Strict action will be taken against hospitals, which will be found negligent. The state government ensured adequate oxygen supply during the second wave," he said in response to a clarification sought by Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the Zero Hour.

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