Maharashtra Health Minister reviews preparedness at hospital treating Coronavirus patients

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Sunday reviewed the isolated wards and health facilities arranged for patients undergoing Coronavirus treatment at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. Out of the 32 patients who tested positive for the virus in the state, nine were admitted to the isolation wards of Kasturba Hospital.

Briefing the media about the arrangements and provisions that has been put into place, the Health Minister said, ''I came here to review the arrangements made for admitted Coronavirus patients and for those suspected of the pandemic."

Rajesh Tope informed that 80 suspected patients have been admitted to this hospital in Mumbai, and nearly 350 symptomatic patients visit the hospital on a daily basis. Hence, the Health Minister along with State Health Commissioner and additional Health Commissioner, ensured the smooth functioning of the OPD to carry out checkups. 

READ | Maharashtra: One More Tests Positive For Coronavirus Taking Total Count To 32

Timely meals, TV facility, Wifi connection and more for the patients

The Health Minister said that currently, the Kasturba hospital has the capacity of setting up 50 isolation beds. The Health Ministry is making arrangements to set up 100 beds for admitting Coronavirus suspected patients here.

''In order to ensure that the isolated patients are taken good care of, we reviewed the arrangements for timely meals, TV facility, and wifi connection. We also reviewed arrangements at the micro-level,'' the health minister told media. 

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Rajesh Tope said, in order to conduct tests of symptomatic patients, additional supplies and machines will be set up in the hospital so that 350 Coronavirus samples can be collected on a daily basis. 

"The hospital takes 100 tests every day, we wish to double this capacity. Therefore, a new set up of extraction machines, capable of testing at least 250 samples every day will be arranged within two days at the hospital here," he said.

"In the same way, these machines will be set up at KEM hospital in Mumbai, starting from Wednesday," the Health Minister told the media.

READ | PM Modi Dials Maha CM Uddhav To Discuss COVID-19 Crisis; State Govt Convenes Meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, amid the novel Coronavirus scare, according to sources. The PM and Thackeray deliberated on the measures to tackle the menace of the Novel Coronavirus.  After the conversation with the PM, CM Uddhav Thackeray convened a meeting to review the steps taken to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state. 

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