Spl arrangements being made to handle 3rd wave: Health Minister

The Minister was speaking to the press after inaugurating an oxygen plant set up at Saidapet Government Hospital along with Udhayanidhi Stalin MLA on Saturday. 

Including the 79,000 beds with oxygen supply that were set up across the State in the last one month, there now are 1,79,000 oxygen beds in Tamil Nadu, he said. Of these, more than one lakh are available for COVID patients, the Minister added. 

With experts warning that children could be at higher risk during the third wave, exclusive COVID care centres for children were being opened at every district and a special ward for children testing positive is also being set up as a preparatory measure. 

Asked about the functioning of mini clinics that are facing staff shortage, Subramanian said many healthcare staff were sent on COVID special duty. Now that the numbers are reducing, these staff would return and the mini clinics would function in a full-fledged manner, he added. 

Special camps were being organised in rural areas and for tribal people, while door-to-door vaccination is being done for people with disabilities. As on Friday, Tamil Nadu reported 2,382 cases of mucormycosis, of whom 111 have recovered, said the Minister.