Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian responded to a call attention motion moved by Tamil Nadu Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and explained about the measures taken to counter COVID resurgence in the state. Earlier, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami moved a call attention motion regarding the increasing coronavirus cases in the state.
Addressing the Assembly, Minister Ma Subramanian on the preparedness to tackle the surge in COVID said, “On April 7, Union Health Minister told the states to conduct a mock drill in hospitals across India. As per instruction, I took part in a mock drill that was held at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) yesterday (Monday). The district administrations in Tamil Nadu are conducting a mock drill on Tuesday. As part of the mock drill, the number of beds, oxygen availability, ICUs and medicine availability are being examined.”
Before attending the Assembly session, the Minister addressed the media and said that Tamil Nadu did not witness any large clusters, hospitalisations or deaths due to the cluster. He said, a woman died in Chengalpet on Monday and now the death toll is 386.
Addressing the media, Ma Subramanian, said that there was no need to worry as the Covid strain that is in circulation in the country is of a milder variety and not lethal.
Subramanian told IANS that “Around 64,281 beds are ready, of which 33,664 are oxygen-supported, 22,820 are non-oxygen and 7,797 ICU beds”.
He said that the state’s liquid oxygen storage capacity stood at 2,067 metric tonnes and added that there were 342 RT-PCR testing centres across Tamil Nadu.
The Minister added that the state has the capacity to test 3 lakh people a day but was testing only 4,000 people and would soon be hiked to 11,000.