Dakshina Kannada district administration to increase testing as 225 more found Covid positive

MANGALURU: In addition to the surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada district – the coastal district reported 225 fresh cases on Tuesday – the authorities are saddled with the responsibility of addressing problems that accompany the spike, including the inflated bills that patients are being charged at private hospitals.
Now, the district administration has decided to intensify testing, and a dedicated cell has been created in the health and family welfare department to redress grievances pertaining to hospital bills.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Udupi district had 170 more people being confirmed infected with Covid-19, its overall tally now at 4,970. But Dakshina Kannada, with a total of 6,393 cases, of which 3,061 are still active, is certainly faced with a challenging task. Fatalities too continued to mount in the two coastal districts, which cumulatively reported the death of 10 Covid-19 patients on Tuesday; Udupi accounting for six, and Dakshina Kannada for four fatalities. Of the 180 people who have succumbed to the novel coronavirus in Dakshina Kannada district, 67 have died in the past ten days. Meanwhile, the overall death toll in Udupi district is 42.
Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner KV Rajendra said that the health department was preparing to conduct 4,000 tests daily. “We want to conduct tests in all towns of the district. People can visit the nearest towns before travelling to Mangaluru for treatment. We have chalked out a plan to test anyone having symptoms of Covid-19,” the DC said.
Officials at the proposed dedicated cell at the health department will examine bills charged to patients at private hospitals, comparing the sum with the rates prescribed by the state government. Rajendra, meanwhile, said that, in the event of private hospitals facing a shortage of ventilators, patients could be referred to the Wenlock District Hospital, and they would be offered treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.