A day after refuting the allegations made by an anaesthetist of Narsipatnam Area Hospital, Sudhakar Rao, over the shortage of masks, personal protective equipment (PPEs) in the hospitals, the Health Department reportedly suspended him on Wednesday.

Dr. Sudhakar Rao had made allegations expressing concern over the safety of doctors treating COVID-19 suspects at Narsipatnam hospital.

The suspension sparked a debate on the social media by the evening. More than 3,400 tweets with a hashtag #westandwithDrSudhakar were posted in Twitter. A number of messages were shared in WhatsApp groups against the action.

Utterly shocking: Naidu

Former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, in his official Twitter account, posted, “Dr. Sudhakar opened up about the lack of masks and gloves at Narsipatnam Govt. Hospital which is the minimum responsibility of AP Govt. Instead of addressing the issue, the doctor was suspended. His only crime was to demand for an N-95 mask. This is utterly shocking.”

51 cases test negative

Meanwhile, of the 624 samples sent from the district so far, 51 cases have been tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday. Till Tuesday, 483 patients have tested negative, taking the total to 534 so far.

“The number of positive cases in the district are 20 and the report of 70 other patients is awaited,” according to Collector V. Vinay Chand.

The number of patients in the isolation wards is 72. Of the 537 patients in the District-level COVID Hospitals in the district, 465 have been discharged, the Collector said.

The total number of patients who have been placed at quarantine centres in the district is 176, he added.