The number of COVID-19 positive cases is likely to shoot up in Andhra Pradesh along with the rest of the country in the third week of June and during that time doctors and paramedics must ensure better care of those above 65 years with comorbid conditions to keep the fatality rate low, Special Chief Secretary (Health) K.S. Jawahar Reddy said.
Dr. Jawahar Reddy, who reviewed the situation in Kurnool and Anantapur districts at the State Guest House here on Wednesday evening, wanted the number of COVID19 tests for those above 65 years of age increased and those testing positive among them isolated so that number of deaths could be minimised.
Mobile facility
Appreciating Kurnool and Anantapur Collectors G. Veerapandian and Gandham Chandrudu for conducting a large number of tests, he wanted them to make use of the volunteer network and keep track of all people sneaking into the State unnoticed in non-traditional ways of transport. He inspected the reception centre established at the Panchalingala toll plaza-cum-check-post on National Highway 44, where a facility for collection of data of all persons entering the State has been set up. A mobile swab collection facility also has been operationalised.
Kurnool Joint Collector Ravi Pattan Shetty and Superintendent of Police Fakkeerappa Kaginelli accompanied Dr. Jawahar Reddy in the afternoon.
Wish list
The Kurnool Collector said the State COVID Hospital at the GGH needed 100 non-COVID beds at the earliest as private hospitals were not admitting serious non-COVID cases. The district had tested 48,618 persons and of them, 723 tested positive and 28 persons died, while the discharge percentage was the highest in the State at 68%, he explained. Bulk of the positive cases (234) were from among those returning from Mumbai.
Dr. Jawahar Reddy asked the administration to be prepared with more than 4,000 beds by the week and of this month increase the number of medical/paramedical staff at COVID Care Centres. Kurnool requested for two more RT-PCR testing machines.
The Anantapur Collector said the district had tested 38,842 persons and 231 positive cases were recorded and only 68 active positive cases were there as on date with deaths in single digit. The number of tests would be increased soon, he told the Special Chief Secretary.