Karnataka gears up for possible COVID-19 second wave; Purchases equipment, drugs
Bengaluru, Dec 11: Gearing up for a possible second wave of coronavirus in the state, the Karnataka government has approved over Rs 82 crore for the purchase of oxygen generator for various hospitals, testing kits and drugs among others, Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Friday.
The government wanted to equip itself adequately to meet any exigency in the next three months when the state might witness another surge, he said, asking people to take all necessary precautions, including avoiding large congregations.
"We have decided to have oxygen generators in 10 district hospitals, 30 taluk hospitals. We have given administrative approval to buy oxygen generators.... at an estimated cost of 37.72 crore," Sudhakar told reporters after chairing the COVID-19 Task Force meeting.
The government has also sanctioned Rs 45 crore for purchase of equipment, including ten lakh rapid antigen test kits at a cost of Rs 11.32 crore, and emergency drugs worth Rs 22.50 crore, he said.
"Just because the positivity rate of coronavirus is less, we should not believe that we can escape the second wave. The Technical Advisory Committee (on COVID-19) has recommended enhancing the testing," he added.
As the second wave might occur from December 20 to January 2 next year, the minister recommended avoiding new year celebrations, marriages, religious events and cultural programmes where a large number of people may congregate.
As of Thursday, the state has reported 8.97 lakh positive cases, including 8.66 lakh discharges and 11,912 deaths.
The Health Minister warned private hospitals against overcharging patients for anti-viral drug remdesivir. While each vial of it was available in government hospitals for Rs 1,800, the private hospitals were charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per vial, he added.
"We will initiate disciplinary action against the hospitals if we come to know about sale of the injection at an exorbitant price," the minister said.
He added that the government has also restructured the COVID-19 Task Force by appointing Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol as its chairperson.
The other members of the task force are Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, Mines and Geology Minister C C Patil, and the Chief Secretary of Karnataka, T M Vijay Bhaskar.
The Task Force held a detailed meeting with the officials from the districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Ballari, Yadgir, Dakshina Kannada, Belagavi, Bidar, Haveri and Udupi, which Sudhakar said were conducting less tests. Under no circumstances, targeted testing should be reduced.
On the plans for delivery of the vaccine once it was available, Sudhakar said a new mobile application has been developed.
The officials have been asked to input details of vaccine administering centres in the application and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) portal.
The first vaccine beneficiaries of the vaccine will be the front-line workers including healthcare personnel in private and government hospitals treating COVID patients.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
