THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The upward trend in Covid-19 transmission being witnessed in the state is yet to stretch the health infrastructure, the government has claimed. Reacting to reports on ICU/ventilator unavailability and inadequate stocks of medical oxygen in the state, Health Minister K K Shailaja said that no stress is being felt while insisting that there is adequate stock of medical oxygen and enough availability of ICU beds and ventilators in both the government and private sectors. At the same time, the state on Sunday recorded more recoveries — 8,410 —  than new cases —  7,631.

“There have been some baseless reports on ICU beds and ventilators and medical oxygen. It should be noted that only 445 out of the 2,141 ICU beds in the government sector are occupied. In the private sector, a mere 275 of the total 7,085 ICU units are occupied. In the case of ventilators, 2,169 ventilators are there in the government sector of which only 104 are occupied. In the case of the private sector, out of the 1,523 ventilators available, just 65 are occupied. This means there is enough ICU/ventilator in the state and efforts are on to procure more,” said Shailaja.

The minister also said there needn’t be any concerns on the availability of medical oxygen since an oxygen audit  is being conducted at treatment centres daily. The supply of the same has been ensured with Palakkad-based Inox Air Products Private Limited, Southern Gas Limited in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram, Bharat Petroleum and Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited.

On the testing front, the minister said a scientific method is being followed and complaints of low testing might be due to technical issues including uploading details to the revamped ICMR portal by private labs. According to K K Shailaja, the rate of testing is sufficient and if needed it will be scaled up further.

Among the new cases, local transmission accounted for 6,685  cases and 723 were cases where the source of infection remained unknown. Besides, 160  returnees and 63  health workers figured among the positive cases. Thiruvananthapuram with 1,210 recorded the maximum number of recoveries.  There were also 22 Covid-related deaths.

Earlier, the minister said she had urged the chief minister to make Covid negative certificate mandatory for those arriving even on short visit or to subject themselves to testing on arrival.

  covid