Meghalaya to intensify COVID testing, increase bed capacity in hospitals, says CM

SHILLONG:

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday informed that Meghalaya has conducted the maximum number of COVID-19 tests in May, with the expected testing capacity to cross 70,000 in the coming days.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting here, Sangma said, “We are close to touching 50,000 tests, though today is May 17,  in April, we touched 60,000. So we expect that in May we should be touching total testing of 70,000 plus.

He added that the government has expanded the oxygen-supported beds from 350 to 750 till May 17, and in the next two weeks the state expects an expansion of 1000 oxygen-supported beds.

“When we started with the second wave, we had approximately 700 oxygen cylinders. Today, we have doubled it and we are close to touching 1500 oxygen cylinders, and we hope to increase many more in the coming days and weeks,” he said.

Hospitals such as Nazareth, NEIGRIHMS, and Civil have some kind of storage or oxygen plants or generators, but within the next few days or hours, the government will upgrade the services at Civil Hospital, Ganesh Das Hospital and RP Chest Hospital, he informed

“We will be having oxygen plants in these hospitals very soon. Upgradation at Civil Hospital is going on as we speak," he added.

The CM further mentioned that in the next few days or weeks, there will be oxygen plants at Civil Hospitals of Tura, Jowai, and Nongpoh, and later in about two weeks time, the government has also scheduled to complete the oxygen plants in Nongstoin, Williamnagar, Baghmara, and Ampati.

He also reiterated that the government will set up Corona Care Centres/Isolation Centers at different cluster units in different parts of the city with the help of the community. These centres will roughly have 300 beds for COVID care. 

“It is anticipated that we may require more beds, we are trying to increase the presence at the locality level so that certain cases which may not need full medical attention or full hospital services could also be supported through these different centres that we start at the community level. These centres will be supported by the government with basic manpower and oxygen concentrators so that those patients who don’t need full hospital services can also be given bed and basic support at these locations,” he said.

The Chief Minister concluded by saying that the government has almost completed the 300-bedded centre at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) old campus, and 100-bedded centres each at MATI and NIFT. 

He said that at least 50 per cent of the beds at these facilities will be supported with oxygen concentrators.

(Edited by Shankar Kumar Turha)

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