Lack of facilities cripples Covid-19 management in Dakshina Kannada

MANGALURU: Lack of ambulances, swab collection teams and sufficient number of staff is making managing Covid-19 situation tough in Dakshina Kannada district where the number of cases is increasing considerably every day.
The district recorded its single biggest one-day spike of 97 cases on Friday. While the total cases in the district has touched 1,010, the active cases in the district is 498. The district also added one more Covid-19 fatality with the death of a 47 year old in District Wenlock Hospital due to multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. Meanwhile, 26 patients were discharged from the hospital.
A 28 year old from Harekala village in Mangaluru taluk was made to wait for an ambulance for more than 12 hours in his house after he was tested positive for Covid-19. Though he was informed about his Covid-19 positive report by 10am on Thursday, an ambulance arrived to pick him after 10pm. In fact, five persons from Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba’s village - Harekala have tested positive for Covid-19. Following this, Harekala gram panchayat has voluntarily declared lockdown after holding a meeting of political and religious leaders. The gram panchayat has also informed the district administration with regard to the voluntary lockdown.
Accordingly, no vehicles and boat services from outside will be allowed in the village. The gram panchayat also has made it mandatory that villagers can go outside only for emergency reasons. Shops in Harekala will be remaining open from 7am to 12noon only and no restaurants will be allowed. In addition to following all guidelines of the government, the gram panchayat also has decided to sanitize each house in the village.
Meanwhile, voluntary lockdown continued in Ullal in Mangaluru constituency after 28 persons tested positive for the disease through community sampling. Mangaluru MLA U T Khader said the district lack basic facilities required for swab testing and transportation of patients. “The government should immediately take necessary steps to manage the situation in Dakshina Kannada. Nearly 30 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in Ullal through random sampling. There are only two teams in the district to conduct swab collection. Meanwhile, the district lacks sufficient ambulances to shift patients to the designated hospital and also for the transportation of dead bodies,” Khader said.
In Dakshina Kannada, out of 97 cases reported, 28 persons were suffering from influenza like illness (ILI). While seven tested positive through pre-surgery sampling, 28 cases reported in Ullal through community sampling. Meanwhile, six cases in the district are categorised as ‘contact under tracing’. Remaining 25 have contracted the virus through primary contacts and three are international travellers, deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said.
In Ullal, 38 cases including a City Municipal Council (CMC) member, former president, security guard and three civic workers of the CMC were reported on Friday. Meanwhile, a staff of Kukke Sri Subrahmanya Temple from Dharwad has been quarantined after his two and a half years son tested positive for the disease. Udupi district recorded 16 positive cases on Friday.