Min: State fully geared up to meet coronavirus challenge

Mangaluru: The state health machinery is fully geared up to tackle any case of coronavirus outbreak in the state, said minister for health B R Sriramulu on Thursday.
“Screening has been stepped up at international airports with focus on passengers with a travel history to and from China and other coronavirus affected areas, at seaports and of people coming into the state from neighbouring Kerala, where active cases of this disease have been reported,” he said.
Interacting with the media at the BJP office here, Sriramulu said he has directed all government, private and taluk hospitals in the state to reserve beds for people suspected to have contracted the disease. At least 10 beds will be set aside in each of these medical facilities to the extent possible, the minister said, adding test reports of 57 people believed to be symptomatic of the disease in the state, have come up negative on screening.
In addition, the department has taken steps to create awareness among the masses, especially in rural areas, on new and emerging contagious diseases such as coronavirus by way of LED display vans that he inaugurated recently. These vans will create awareness about such diseases in villages, he said, adding the department will purchase 15 more such vans so that the message can be spread in all districts of Karnataka.
To a query on interns attached to Wenlock Hospital not receiving their stipend for the past 10 months, Sriramulu said this is an issue for the department of medical education and Manipal Academy of Higher Education to sort out amicably. “I have discussed this issue with Dr C N Ashwath Narayan,” Sriramulu said. He said he will draw the attention of the minister once again to the issue, so that it can be resolved.