Udupi to ramp up public health infra in a big way: Deputy commissioner

UDUPI: Unfazed by the fact that it tops the list with most Covid-19 positive patients in Karnataka and expects a spike with the next wave of influx, Udupi district administration on Tuesday decided to ramp up its public health infrastructure.
As per the plan, all government hospitals in the district will be upgraded and the administration will provide necessary support and get funds released, noted deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha.
Chairing a review meeting on Tuesday, DC sought information from officials on facilities needed at the hospitals. He added that Dr G Shankar Hospital in Kundapur will be converted in to Covid hospital.
SBI and Infosys has provided four and three ventilators respectively and work of installing them at the hospital is on. At least 40 beds in this hospital will have oxygen support to make it an additional full-fledged Covid care centre for the district, DC said.
Directing all private hospitals and nursing homes in the district to set up fever clinics, the DC said this will obviate the need to send them to government hospitals for screening. Hospitals and nursing homes, despite clear instruction, are not providing information on influenza like illness and severe acute respiratory infection cases referred to them to district, taluk health authorities and strict action will be taken against such institution, he warned.
Health teams are visiting people in home quarantine and anyone with Covid19 symptoms will be immediately shifted to designated covid hospital, he said. Due care has been taken to ensure there are no fatalities due to the epidemic and recovery rate of patients in the district is on the higher side, he said. The lone death in the district to the epidemic was due to heart attack and the patient tested positive for the disease after death, Jagadeesha said.
The administration is grateful to services of medical personnel who have toiled in this pandemic to ensure minimal Covid-19 fatalities, he said. The next influx of people from other districts and states will be challenging for all concerned as only symptomatic individuals will be tested — putting greater onus on the surveillance set up for rest of the untested population, DC said.