Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with the Chief Minister, MP Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the COVID Care facility in Mandla

New COVID cases continue to decline, the Government is leaving no stone unturned to be prepared for any possibility of a third wave of the pandemic: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Minister of Steel and Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, along with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today inaugurated the COVID Care facility in Mandla district. Union Minister of State for Steel Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste and the MP Public Health and family welfare minister Dr. Prabhuram Choudhary were also present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the Madhya Pradesh government for setting up a new model of fighting the pandemic. Dharmendra Pradhan said that this was possible through people’s participation and by undertaking proper planning and ensuring good management. He said that the state is the leader in the new phase of the vaccination program launched this week, and over 1.82 crore people in the state have been vaccinated so far. Shri Pradhan said that though the new COVID cases continue to decline, the Government is leaving no stone unturned to be prepared for any possibility of a third wave of the pandemic. 

Dharmendra Pradhan assured that the MOIL will continue to run the Covid care facility till the district administration takes over its operations. Shri Pradhan said that in the coming days, the vaccination is set to further increase, and all the eligible persons are likely to get it by end of this year.

Shri Chauhan said that with the full support of the Union Government, the State Government has succeeded in containing the Covid. He said that the state government has been undertaking testing and tracking of patients, and is now providing large-scale vaccinations, and taking all precautions. Shri Chouhan said that new facilities being provided will act as a milestone and help in further fighting the pandemic and prevent its third wave.

Set up with the support of MOIL, a steel sector PSU, the covid care facility includes 70 beds at Mandla district hospital and 30 beds at Nainpur Sub-District Hospital of Mandla. The facilities provided include the supply of Oxygen through a dedicated network of pipelines and jumbo oxygen containers, micro cylinders along with an assured continuous supply of medical oxygen and allied facilities. This facility will augment the COVID-related healthcare in the region and add to the preparedness of any possibility of a third wave.

MOIL is the largest producer of manganese ore in India.  It operates 11 mines in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which includes Balaghat, which is the deepest Manganese Ore mines in Asia.