Thirty staff members of Government General Hospital, Anantapur, have been quarantined following three patients treated in the general ward of the non-COVID-19 hospital, turned positive.
Second incident
In second such incident in the GGH here, 19 junior doctors (12 male and seven female), three senior doctors and other paramedical personnel working at the GGH were quarantined on Sunday night and Monday.
In the first incident at the same hospital in the first week of April, a patient from Hindupur with COVID symptoms was being treated in the general ward and he tested positive posthumously. Five of the 40 persons, who had come in contact with the patient then, turned positive.
Meanwhile, the number of positive cases has been on a steady rise in the district from 224 on June 1 to 306 by Monday(June 8) morning against 290 on Sunday.
‘Cases likely to rise’
There are 129 active cases in the district and 173 have been discharged. The district administration, in anticipation of a rise in the numbers due to influx of migrants, is readying 5,000 beds, District Medical and Health Officer K.V.N.S. Anil Kumar told The Hindu.
‘Expanding bed capacity’
Currently, there are 125 beds in RTD Bathalapalli Hospital, 60 in KIMS Saveera Hospital in Anantapur, 40 in Hindupur District Hospital and another 90 beds will be available by this Saturday at the new Super Speciality Hospital constructed near JNTU, Anantapur Campus.
Dr. Anil Kumar said the administration had taken over three private hospitals in Anantapur town and would utilise those beds for COVID cases if there is an alarming surge.
Three large function halls on the Gooty Road within the Anantapur municipal limits have also been served notice to keep them vacant so that they could be utilised for turning them into COVID Care Centres in case of need.
The official said that going by the experience so far, 85% of the positive cases would not need any hospitalisation or treatment.
All those needing oxygen support will be taken to designated hospitals and those with no symptoms or mild symptoms would be treated in COVID care centres or allowed to be home quarantined if they have sufficient facility to isolate a positive person, he explained. Two positive persons have been given this option in Anantapur so far.