MANGALURU: Only one out of every four Covid-infected people referred to hospitals for treatment in
Dakshina Kannada district went to government hospitals.
Statistics with the department of health and family welfare show that out of a total 31,664 cases reported in the district as on Wednesday (November 25), a majority (19,673 or 62.1%) opted for home isolation, while a minuscule figure (990 or 3.1%) went to Covid Care Centres, which have since been scrapped.
Of the 11,001 (or 34.7%) admitted to hospitals, 8,294 (75.4%) were treated in private hospitals and only 2,707 in government hospitals.
The district administration had appointed nodal officers –- senior officers with additional charge –- for all private hospitals and medical colleges to ensure reservation of 50% beds and treatment of infected people. Because it saw a bigger number of patients, the number of deaths in private hospitals was understandably higher (more than 70%) compared to government hospitals.
Currently, the district has 429 active cases. While 30 people are in government hospitals, 111 are convalescing in private hospitals and 288 in home isolation, said Dr H Ashok, district nodal officer for Covid-19.
And although the number of fresh infections is decreasing, Dr Ashok warned people not to ignore caution. “Students should be very careful while in educational institutions,” he said. “They should always wear a mask properly and when they go for lunch in the afternoon, they should strictly follow social distancing.”