Vadodara Mayor tests positive; CT scan cost capped at Rs 2,500

The increasing Covid-19 cases in Vadodara, along with a spurt in hospitalisation, has become a matter of concern for the administration. On Thursday, out of the 6,746 available beds for Covid-19 treatment, 3,920 were occupied — seeing 233 admissions in a single day from Wednesday’s occupancy of 3,687. Officer on Special Duty Vinod Rao has issued a notification capping prices of the High-Resolution CT (HRCT) Scan at private diagnostic centres for Covid-19 patients to Rs 2,500 as against a minimum of Rs 4,500 being charged currently.

In a notification issued Thursday, Rao has ordered all radiology diagnostic centres to make their facilities available for Covid-19 patients, ceiling rates at Rs 2,500. The notification, issued under The Disaster Management Act, 2005, states that no private diagnostic centre in Vadodara will be able to charge more than Rs 2,500 for HRCT Scan.
At the civic-run SSG and GMERS-run Gotri hospitals, Covid-19 patients eligible under certain criteria will be able to have the HRCT scans done for free while regular patients will have to pay Rs 1,200.

Vadodara recorded a jump in the Covid-19, with 163 positive cases on Thursday and a total tally of 26,441.
Among those who tested positive on Thursday, were Mayor Keyur Rokadia, who is currently in home isolation after developing symptoms three days ago, Vadodara BJP General Secretary Sunil Solanki said. Rokadia, who was elected Mayor on March 10 in his first term as a Municipal Corporator, had visited the Covid-19 ward of GMERS-run Gotri hospital last week. Rokadia is the eighth BJP leader in the city to test positive since March 17. The Income Tax department office of Vadodara also shut down on Thursday after a number of officers and employees tested positive, an official said.The premises was closed for sanitising and close contacts of positive patients have been advised isolation.

In view of increasing hospitalisation, Rao reviewed the situation at GMERS Gotri hospital on Thursday where 312 beds out of a capacity of 575 beds are occupied and 134 out of 150 ICU beds have been taken. “We have decided to upgrade 50 beds on the fourth floor of the main building as ICU. The ESI Hospital in Gotri with a capacity of 50 beds has been activated to admit stable and low-risk patients there. We will mobilise the required manpower, equipment and resources for future requirements even if the numbers increase.”

Rao also visited SSG hospital which has 253 of the 575 beds available for patients requiring hospitalisation and 57 of the 190 ICU beds are available.

“As part of advance planning, we have decided to increase 50 more ICU beds in SSG. The G1 ward of New Surgical Block and another ward in the old Emergency Building will be upgraded into ICUs,” Rao said.
The Deputy Registrar of Examinations of MS University postponed examinations of M.Sc. (Medical), M.S., M.D., M.Ch., and Diploma of Faculty of Medicine, scheduled to start on April 5 until further notice.