Maharashtra braces to combat COVID-19
Mumbai, Mar 16: Maharashtra, which has become the second-largest state to get affected by the COVID-19 virus after Kerala, has taken steps to contain the spread of the virus and save the people from the pandemic.
Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that more testing labs are being set up at J J Hospital, Haffkine Institute in Mumbai and B J Medical College in Pune besides enhancing the testing capacity at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital in Mumbai. In addition to this, the testing labs will be made operational at Dhule, Aurangabad, Miraj, and Solapur medical colleges, the Minister said addressing a press conference here on Sunday.
Maharashtra has so far 32 Coronavirus patients found in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad. Pune has the maximum number of patients and most IT companies have asked their employees to work from Home.
The state has invoked Epidemic Act 1897 giving wide powers to Commissioner, Health Services, Director, Health Education, and Research, all Divisional Commissioners, all District Collectors, and Municipal Commissioners to acquire additional beds for isolation and ventilators if required. They are also vested with special powers for controlling this outbreak in their respective areas.
Meanwhile, the government has instructed to shut schools, colleges, malls and museums in the state and the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) is told to postpone examinations till March 31, the Health Minister said.
Giving more information in this regard, the Health Minister said the state government is taking all possible measures to secure the health of the citizens and to avoid infections. People are urged to take the journey as and when required and avoid unnecessary gatherings. Instructions are given to sanitize public transport system and public places. If required, 450 ventilators are kept ready for the treatment of coronavirus patient and if required some more will be acquired from the private hospitals, he added.
With five more patients in Pimpri-Chinchwad and 1 in Aurangabad, the total number of Coronavirus infected patients in the state has gone to 32. The 59-year-old woman admitted to Aurangabad Hospital has traveled to Russia and Kazakhstan. She is reported to be stable.
95 suspected patients are admitted in the state today. Up to March 15, 181, 925 passengers coming to Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur international airports by 1584 aircraft.
1043 affected passengers have come to state so far. 758 patients are admitted to isolation wards in different towns from 18 January for complaints of fever, cold, cough. Out of them 669 patients have reported negative after the laboratory tests only 32 have posted positive. 75 suspected patients are admitted in the state in different isolation wards.