Nurses play a vital role in the COVID-19 battle: Puducherry Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday nurses were playing a crucial role in the current context of fighting the coronavirus. Felicitating nurses on International Nurses Day marking the celebration of the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, here, the Lt Governor said, "The work of the nurses is laudable and they put in good work despite the risk they are facing."

"I salute the nurses and it is the duty of everyone in other departments to work in unison so that Puducherry will become Coronavirus-free and a fatality-free Union Territory," she said. She thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for responding to the needs of the hospitals in Puducherry. She said 40 oxygen concentrators have been received from the Union Health Ministry which were being used for COVID-related treatment.

She said the centrally administered JIPMER has also been granted 70 oxygen concentrators. The Lt Governor reiterated her plea to the youth to be wary of the second wave of the pandemic as it is more virulent and attacks the youth more than the others. "I am really concerned over the youth moving about unnecessarily on bikes without realising the seriousness of the scourge that was spreading in Puducherry," she said.

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She said the Health Department here has expanded its telemedicine facilities to cater to those in home quarantine or to offer suggestions and clarifications over phone to those who needed them. "Our mission is that Puducherry should be safe and no scope should be given for the virus to spread," she said detailing the steps taken to combat the disease. Making available subsidised food at Rs 5 a packet to those who were left to suffer because of the current lockdown was part of the work the government has undertaken in Puducherry.

She said the officials of the Health Department were burning the midnight oil to protect the people against COVID-19 and several measures to keep the pandemic at bay had been launched. Health Secretary T Arun, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services S Mohan Kumar and Dean of the Mother Teresa Institute of PG studies Jayanthi were among those present.