Mangaluru : Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan has said that the State government will supply 25,000 rapid antigen testing kits and sanction 15 more ambulances to Dakshina Kannada immediately to deal with COVID-19, according to Kota Srinivasa Poojary, Minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada.

After holding an emergency meeting with the Deputy Chief Minister at Vikasa Soudha in Bengaluru on Friday, Mr. Poojary pointed out that the Deputy Chief Minister said that if required the government will provide free treatment to COVID-19 patients at private hospitals. But such patients will have to first visit the nearest government hospital.

If the government doctors recommended that such patients have to be admitted in private hospitals, the government will bear their treatment cost. Mr. Ashwath Narayan also said that people need not be apprehensive to get tested for COVID-19, Mr. Poojary said in a statement.

The Deputy Chief Minister also held a virtual meeting with the Dakshina Kannada district administration along with Mr. Poojary. Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B. Rupesh told the Minister that the district administration has presently taken 10 ambulances on rent. Hence, it currently has 59 vehicles.

She added that the administration is planning to procure five more ambulances through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds of companies and other governemtn funds.

She said that 430 COVID-19 patients in the district are now getting treatment at their residences.

Mr. Ashwath Narayan instructed the Deputy Commissioner to get the services of more ambulances on rent and use them to transport patients with serious conditions. Asymptomatic patients can be transported in maxi-cabs, he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister asked Ms. Rupesh to mobilise 50 more drivers from other government departments to drive the ambulances. There should be at least one ambulance in each primary health centre (PHC), he said.

He instructed the Deputy Commissioner to hold talks with private hospitals and private medical colleges to get their beds for treating COVID-19 patients through an agreement.

The district had eight medical colleges and the total availability of beds, including in the private hospitals, in the district stood at about 8,000.