Officials taken to task over shortage of gloves, N95 masks

Mangaluru: The issue of Dakshina Kannada facing a shortage of hand gloves and N95 masks irked chief minister Basavaraj Bommai at a review meeting held here on Thursday.

Mangaluru MLA U T Khader brought the issue to the notice of the CM, who took deputy commissioner K V Rajendra and DHO Dr Kishore Kumar M to task over the issue, and questioned why they could not procure gloves and masks using SDRF funds locally.

“Don’t you have the common sense to ensure sufficient stock of gloves and N95 masks? How can health staff work without gloves and N95 masks? We have constructed such a huge ICU block, provided ventilators, oxygen and other equipment. Purchase gloves and masks in required quantities locally. The fact of the matter is that we need more gloves and masks to create awareness on Covid-19 and for border surveillance,” Bommai said.

Rajendra said the district has already released Rs 50 lakh to each taluk for the purchase of necessary equipment locally. Similarly, Rs 50,000 each has been released through SDRF to all gram panchayats, he said.

The CM then said, “Just releasing funds is not enough. You should ensure the funds released are utilised properly and benefits reach patients and health workers.” However, in his concluding remarks, the CM lauded the DC, DHO and teams of officials in the district for managing Covid-19 in the first and second waves.