Steep rise in Coronavirus cases in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: There has been a severe increase in Covid cases in Srikakulam district and everyday more than 200 positive cases are being reported.

On Saturday alone, total 346 fresh positive cases were reported and total positive cases in the district increased to 4,457.

Within a span of 11 days, between July 15 and 25 total 50 deaths were recorded. Some of the patients died while being treated at the hospital while some others died before getting admitted in the hospital. Deaths were reported at Itchapuram, Sompeta, Palasa, Mandasa, Ponduru, Srikakulam city, Palakonda, Ranastalam, Pathapatnam, Bhamini and Etcherla mandals across the district.

Key reasons for deaths were delay in identification of Covid symptoms and private hospitals denying treatment for patients who complained of Covid related symptoms. Private hospitals' managements asked the patients to go for Covid test and after confirmation only they allowed patients to get admitted for treatment. In the meantime, the patient would develop Covid related symptoms and lose his life, points out government medical officer working in Srikakulam city admitted on condition of anonymity.

Prime reason for spread of Covid positive cases in the district is negligence of Medical and Health department officials and staff at primary health centres (PHCs) and mandal level.

As per Covid guidelines, immediately after a death of any person due to Covid is reported or with similar symptoms, they need to collect details of primary and secondary contact persons at the residential locality where the death has been reported from. 'But in most of the cases, medical and health department officials and staff are not responding for days together as a result primary and secondary contact persons were going unnoticed," a medical officer involved in monitoring Covid cases explained to The Hans India.

On Thursday, correspondent of a private school died of Covid at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam. She was running the school at RK Nagar in Srikakulam city. She had earlier during the month reportedly conducted meetings with parents for collection of fee and distribution of textbooks. Subsequently, she tested Covid positive and died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. She was a native of Gorinta village in Ponduru mandal but the medical and health officials and staff have not collected details of primary and secondary contact persons either at RK Nagar area in Srikakulam city or the details of parents and relatives at the village till Saturday.