Ongole: Prakasam district Collector Pravin Kumar on Wednesday informed that they booked cases on 63979 people and collected a penalty of Rs 63,97,877 from them along with another Rs 45 lakh from the shop owners who violated the Covid restrictions in the district. The Collector conducted a meeting with the nodal officers on the preparedness for Covid third wave at the government, private and corporate hospitals at the Collectorate in Ongole on Wednesday.

He directed them to make 3,368 beds ready for Covid in the district. He reviewed the targets set for them and expressed anger for not achieving them. He questions the reason behind not providing the ventilator facility to beds at GGH Ongole and non-arranging of oxygen beds at Giddalur PHC. He demanded a response from the officials why only 65 per cent of the ICU beds are ready in the district, though the last date for them was over on August 1.

Responding to the 12th position in the fever survey programme and maintaining fever clinics for the district, the Collectors warned the officials to stop making excuses but work with commitment. He wanted the district to be in the first position and warned that no one will be spared if found not performing up to the mark. He said that there are about 701 Covid patients receiving treatment in 13 hospitals while 1,405 are being cured in home isolation. The Collector ordered the officials to prepare 871 Covid care centres in the district. He informed that they have provided oxygen concentrators to 79 PHCs already and will provide for another 21 PHCs. Joint Collector TS Chetan, Nodal Officer M Venkateswara Rao, DMHO Dr P Ratnavali, DCHS Dr Usharani, ZP CEO Devanand Reddy and other officials participated in the meeting.

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