Rajasthan: Border districts to rope in BSF & army for Covid management | Jaipur News

JAISALMER: Looking at the serious situation of the second wave of Covid in the border areas of Rajasthan, the district administration has decided to take help of BSF and the army. Army political college in Barmer district is preparing a 100-bed Covid hospital and will hand it over it to the district administration, along with providing services of a few army doctors.
The district administration, after meeting the BSF and army officers, has requested help in case of an emergency. The Barmer district administration, looking at the increasing cases, barring medical stores has set timings for other permitted shops like grocery shops etc. to remain open from 7am to 12noon.
Barmer acting district collector Mohandan Ratnu said that on Wednesday, a meeting was held at Government Medical College with MLA Mewaram Jain, medical college principal and other officers to review the situation and the MLA immediately sanctioned the requirements. The situation of oxygen in Barmer is better and there is no problem.
At present, a new Covid-dedicated hospital of 50 beds has been made at ITI. There are a total 471 beds for Covid patients in Barmer and there are only 130 Covid patients. He said that army officers were contacted looking at the rising cases and the army readied a 100-bed Covid hospital at political college and handed it over to the district administration and if required the army will provide the services of their doctors. One private hospital too has been acquired by the administration.
Ratnu said that with the increasing number of cases, changes have been made in the timings of shops that are permitted to stay open by the state government guidelines. The permitted shops are allowed to open till 5pm but now except for medical stores, the permitted shops like provision stores, grocery shops etc. will remain open from 7am to 12pm. Thereafter, grocery stores are allowed to do home delivery of products till 5pm. Fruit and vegetable mandis are allowed from 5am to 12 noon and their home deliveries are allowed till 7pm.
On the other hand, in Jaisalmer, following the district collector Ashish Modi’s directions, a 40-bed Covid-dedicated ward at Jawahir hospital has been started and complete arrangements are being made for Covid patients.
Modi, confirming this, said that a dedicated ward has started looking after the increasing cases and Soni dharamshala has also been kept reserved for Covid centres. If required, more buildings will be acquired for Covid centre, for which a complete plan is ready.
He said that oxygen is available on 40 beds in government hospitals in Jaisalmer and on 25 beds in Pokhran government hospital. Besides this, ventilator facility is also available. He said there is no shortage of oxygen at present in Jaisalmer. The oxygen plant has started and patients are getting oxygen on their beds.
Modi said that in case of increase in Covid patients, the district administration has talked to the BSF and the army for help, for which they have assured assistance.