COVID-19: Super Specialty hospitals in Vijayawada, Anantapur told to admit cases

Amaravati: Stating that there were no positive cases of COVID-19 registered so far in the state, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy asked the super-specialty hospitals in Vijayawada and Anantapur to handle the cases.

Reviewing the situation in a meeting at his camp office at Tadepalli on Friday, Jagan directed the officials to set aside Rs 200 crore to meet any exigency and Rs 60 crore to set up special wards in Vijayawada and Anantapur for the purpose..

Officials told the Chief Minister that people coming from other countries were being thoroughly screened at the airports.

Ambulances have been kept ready to carry suspected coronavirus cases to the hospitals and the vehicles would completely be sterilised once the patient is dropped at the hospital.

All those returning from abroad are being asked to be under observation for 14 days. He cautioned the officials not to create panic among the people but to just inform about the precautions that need to be taken to prevent the spread of virus and to set up a call centre to immediately take up preventive measures.

He also directed the officials to involve the village secretariats in creating awareness among the people about the virus.

Deputy Chief Minister (health) Alla Kala Krishna Srinivas (Nani), at a press conference said that 20 out of the 24 suspected cases identified proved negative, and details of the remaining four were awaited.

The virus can be prevented by special care on hygiene and personal care. It has been found that only 5 percent of the positive cases turn critical more so when a person is already suffering from some ailment, the officials said.

As many as 6,927 persons who arrived from abroad were screened at Visakhapatnam airport till March 5. This apart, 790 persons who landed in Visakhapatnam port, 469 in Krishnapatnam port in ships and 60 persons at Gannavaram airport were screened. The state doctors are being trained to handle the screening tests, the Dy CM said.

He said that 351 beds have been kept ready, 47 ventilators, 12,444 personal protective equipment and 1.10 lakh masks were acquired to meet any exigency.

Similarly, orders have been placed to acquire 12,000 personal protective equipment and 50,000 masks. Isolation wards are being arranged away from all the major hospitals.

Chief Secretary Nilam Swahney, principal secretary (health) K S Jawahar Reddy and special secretary (CMO) P V Ramesh were among those present on the occasion.

Alla Nani said raids were also conducted on medical shops for selling masks at a higher price. Cases were registered on a couple of medical shops in the state.

A five-member team of state officials was in New Delhi to attend a nationwide special training session being organised by the Central government. The officials on return will hold a state level training session on March 9.