Govt upscaling COVID-19 facilities in TN, no shortage of drugs to treat patients: Health secretary
A 1,000 bedded CCC with RO plant, geysers and intercom facilities has been readied at the Tamil Nadu Housing Board building in Chennai and another with a bed strength of 5,000 is getting ready at the TNHB multi-storeyed apartment in Ambattur zone in the city, he said.
"The multi dimensional approach, as per chief minister K Palaniswami's instructions, envisages aggressive testing, early detection and treatment on time, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus besides averting fatalities," Radhakrishnan said.
This strategy also included improving the facilities at CCC and infrastructure in all the government hospitals in the state.
Speaking to reporters here, he said in Madurai too a CCC with 1,000 beds had been readied opposite to the Madurai Kamaraj University.
On the treatment of coronavirus positive patients, he said apart from allopathy, Siddha and other Indian system of medicine has been allowed.
"We have established a Siddha CCC each at Jawahar Vidyalaya and Ambedkar College in Chennai while Siddha treatment is provided to those who seek at the hospitals in the districts," he said.
Ayurveda and homoeopathy is also being tried as add on therapy, Radhakrishnan added.
The health secretary denied any shortage of drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizumab used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation G Prakash regretted that many youngsters were not strictly adhering to the advisory on wearing masks.
"A mask survey has revealed that nearly 75-80 per cent people complied while the rest who were mostly youth were not taking masks seriously," he said and added wearing masks and maintaining social distance are vital to contain the spread of coronavirus. JSP ROH ROH