No need to panic, Tripura has enough oxygen stock: CM Biplab Kumar Deb

By PTI
AGARTALA: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday said the state has adequate stock of oxygen for treatment of COVID-19 patients and urged people not to panic amid the raging coronavirus pandemic.

The state has a stock of 4,000 oxygen cylinders and 750 concentrators, he said.

“We have adequate stock of oxygen and people of the state should not be worried about the availability of the life-saving gas.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in Tripura is at 92 per cent, which is better than several other states,” Deb said.

The health department has taken a slew of steps to make sure sufficient supply of oxygen to all the districts and sub-divisional hospitals, the CM said.

He visited an oxygen plant at Bodhjungnagar here and took stock of the supply situation from the facility.

Deb said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured all help to the state in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The chief minister stated that his government has taken measures to speed up the vaccination drive and appealed to people above 45 years of age to get inoculated immediately.

“Tripura is one of the first two states in the country to have the highest vaccination rate.

We will soon start the immunisation drive for people in the age group of 18 to 44 years and have placed orders to procure vaccines for the purpose,” he said.

Around 14 lakh people have been inoculated in the state so far, a health department official said.

Senior minister and cabinet spokesperson Ratan Lal Nath said the government has decided to appoint 164 doctors through Tripura Public Service Commission on a contractual basis to strengthen human resource in hospitals across the state.

As many as 148 posts of doctors are vacant in state- run medical facilities, he said.

At least 359 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura on Saturday, pushing the tally in the state to 37,208, the official said.

The death toll rose to 402 as two more patients succumbed to the infection.

Tripura currently has 2,174 active cases, while 34,212 people have recovered from the disease.