Coronavirus scare: Tamil Nadu CM sanctions Rs 100 crore to tackle possible third COVID-19 wave

Chennai, June 29: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 100 crore from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF) to procure oxygen for treating COVID-19 patients in state-run medical facilities and also to initiate precautionary measures to tackle the possible third wave of coronavirus.

Following an appeal by the chief minister, the government had received Rs 353 crore till date from donors towards the pandemic prevention measures. From the sum, the government had already allocated Rs 41.40 crore to procure oxygen cylinders, concentrators and other medical equipment from Singapore and other foreign countries.

About Rs 25 crore was allotted for purchasing life-saving drugs, including Amphotericin, for the treatment of black fungus.

"The Chief Minister has directed allocating Rs 100 crore towards buying necessary liquid oxygen for government hospitals and initiate precautionary measures pertaining to the third wave," an official release said.

He had earlier sanctioned Rs 50 crore for procuring anti-viral drug Remdesivir and oxygen and a similar sum for purchasing RT-PCR test kits as the state was now conducting 1.6 lakh tests a day, it said.