LATUR: In light of the emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode instructed health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals. In a meeting in Latur on Saturday, the minister said the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities.

Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge, chief executive officer Anmol Sagar, superintendent of police Somay Munde, municipal commissioner Babasaheb Manohare and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Twenty-two cases of the JN.1 variant have been reported in India till December 21. The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) emerged in August in Luxembourg and is a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS COV2.

According to the Union Health Ministry’s updated data on Sunday, the country saw a single-day rise of 656 COVID-19 infections while the active cases have increased to 3,742.

''The administration should ensure that necessary equipment and medicines are available at tehsil health centres. The condition of oxygen plants should also be checked,'' Bansode said. He said that the construction of primary health centres and other health institutions in the district should be completed soon, and necessary steps must be taken to make them functional.

Considering the emergence of the new variant, testing kits have been made available to check symptomatic patients, district health officer Dr Vadgave said.

Fifty beds are reserved for new cases in Vilasrao Deshmukh Government Medical College, and a mock drill was conducted to inspect ventilators and oxygen facilities, a health official said.