DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Punjab government on Saturday said it will set up two makeshift hospitals equipped with ICU facilities for coronavirus patients in Mohali and Bathinda. Besides, nine new small hospitals at various district hospitals were also coming up in the state. Punjab Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan stated this after chairing a meeting here on Saturday, according to a government release. She directed the Medical Education and Research department to make functional both the new hospitals by the end of this month to ensure the best possible healthcare to coronavirus patients in the state. Principal Secretary Medical Education and Research D K Tiwari apprised the CS that 2.66-acre land near refinery in Bathinda and 23,000 sq ft land in Mohali has been identified for this purpose. Both the hospitals will have the capacity of 104 beds each, he said. The chief secretary stressed that all beds must have oxygen support to enhance Level-2 (critical) and Level-3 (very critical) beds. "The number of beds needs to be increased with the support of the Western Command and permissions for movement of products will be coordinated by the Medical Education department," she added. Col. Jasdeep Sandhu, Director, Civil Military Affairs, Western Command, informed that he has visited Mohali site and felt the need for utilising existing beds promptly as the field hospital unit can move in three days. Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare, Hussan Lal, said he has selected the sites in Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka for strengthening the existing health facilities. Punjab Health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Saturday directed all civil surgeons to intensify screening of symptomatic people in rural areas which have a higher mortality rate. Sidhu said 58 per cent deaths have been recorded in rural areas which accounted for 27 per cent of total COVID-19 cases. He instructed the civil surgeons to intensify a screening drive in villages, according to an official release. The minister said considering the high case fatality rate of the state, there is also need to keep a close watch on the functioning of private clinics/registered medical practitioners in villages. He said senior medical officers must ensure COVID testing of every single symptomatic person who is getting the treatment from such clinics. (editor@dailyworld.in)