People need not be anxious about new Omicron sub-variants, but should be cautious: Dr K Sudhakar

Highlights

• Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar said that people need not be anxious about the new sub-variants of the Omicron variant of Covid, but they have to be cautious and take a booster dose of the Covid vaccine. The state government has already issued detailed guidelines in this regard, he said.

• Dr Sudhakar was speaking to media persons prior to the Mysuru divisional-level review meeting of the departments of Health and Family Welfare, and Medical Education with district health officers and programme officers of Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajnagar, Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts on the progress of implementation of state and national programmes of the health department at the Zilla Panchayat hall in Mysuru on Thursday.

• He is also holding a review meeting with deans and other officers of five medical colleges of the Mysuru division.

• Dr. Sudhakar said, “in view of new sub-variants of Omicron BQ.1 found in USA, BA.2.3.20 (a recombinant of BA.2.75 and BJ.1) found in Maharashtra, State health department has already taken adequate preventive measures. Deputy commissioners of border districts of Maharashtra have been directed to take necessary precautionary measures. We are in constant touch with Covid technical advisory committee in this regard,” he said.

New cancer hospital in Mysuru

Dr Sudhakar also announced that they are coming up with a new special cancer hospital in Mysuru at the cost of Rs 130 crore.

“We will sanction Rs 50 crores for this in the next cabinet meeting. While we have already sanctioned Rs 89 crores to upgrade Mysuru Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI), we have already invited a tender for it, which is getting finalised soon. We are planning to start ‘Namma Clinics’ in Mysuru in November. We have already permitted the appointment of doctors and other staff for the new super specialty hospital in Mysuru. So the full-fledged super specialty hospital here will be launched shortly,” he said.

On filling the vacant posts in the health department, Dr Sudhakar said, “We have already started the process of direct recruitment of pharmacists, lab technicians based on their merit and reservation. The process will be completed in two-three weeks. We will also be recruiting nurses, and Operation Theatre (OT) staff specialised in OT courses shortly,” Dr. Sudhakar said.

On rumours related to BJP MLA Adagur Vishwanath planning to quit the BJP, he said “We are hopeful that he would not quit the party,” he said.

Caption: Health minister Dr K Sudhakar, State health commissioner D Randeep and State Mission Director, National Health Mission, Dr Arundathi Chandrashekar at the Mysuru divisional-level review meeting of the departments of Health and Family Welfare, and Medical Education in Mysuru on Tuesday.