Install beds with oxygen even in rural areas: CPM

“Tamil Nadu should be prepared to meet the increasing oxygen demand considering the countrywide demand owing to COVID second wave. Only then we will be able to reduce deaths due to the infection and denial of treatment to other patients. We have to provide oxygen bed facilities at the COVID Care Centres to meet emergency requirements,” he said in a series of tweet.

Balakrishnan also demanded the government to extend the oxygen beds availability at the primary health centres in the rural areas in view of the increasing cases. “The approach of referring the COVID patients to the hospitals after the need for oxygen support arises does not help,” he said.

To meet the growing demand for hospital beds, he said that the government should take over private hospitals to meet the increasing demand for beds owing to the COVID-19 second wave. He also asked the government to appoint additional doctors and nurses.

The CPM leader also urged the Centre to accept China’s help to provide raw materials for vaccine development and other COVID related assistance. “We had urged the Centre to make use of its diplomatic channels to get raw material for the vaccine manufacturing from the US. But America has turned down our request. But, China has come forward to provide the raw materials and COVID related assistance. Indian government should not take the decision to refuse emergency assistance for fear of ruining relations with the US. Our goal should be to save our people by getting assistance which comes anywhere from the world,” he tweeted.