With the number of cases on the rise in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts during the second wave of COVID-19, the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, which has 300 beds for patients with the viral infection, has kept ready 250 more beds in the main block.
Collector V. Vishnu who had a meeting with Dean M. Ravichandran and Deputy Director of Health Services Varadharajan on Saturday reviewed the situation and the availability of vaccines. “We’ll ensure that the stock gets replenished at regular intervals,” Mr. Vishnu assured them.
Meanwhile, the number of fresh cases in Tirunelveli district touched 269 on Saturday, including 155 cases in Tirunelveli Corporation area; 1,513 active cases are under treatment in hospitals and in home quarantine. Recovering patients from Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital are being shifted to the COVID-19 care centre at Government Siddha Medical College. As a staff in the outpatient section of the Siddha college tested positive on Saturday, the section has been closed till Sunday to disinfect the place.
Thoothukudi
Dean of Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital Revathi Balan said they received 750 doses of Covishield and 500 doses of Covaxin on Saturday. “We’ve been told that the vaccine supply would be sustained to meet the demand,” Dr. Revathi said.
In a joint statement, district secretaries of Communist Party of India S. Kasi Viswanathan of Tirunelveli, S. Azhagu Muthupandian of Thoothukudi and T. Esakki Durai of Tenkasi has said the Department of Public Health should ensure adequate stock of vaccine in the three districts as patients coming to the vaccination centres for the second dose were being sent back due to shortage of vaccine.
“Instead of assessing the domestic demand, the Narendra Modi government had exported vaccines to foreign countries which has resulted in shortage,” the statement said.
Kanniyakumari
Kanniyakumari Collector M. Aravind, who inspected the Government Medical College Hospital at Asaripallam on Saturday, said 500 beds had been kept ready for COVID-19 positive patients, besides 250 beds each at Scott Christian College and Pioneer Kumarasamy College, and 200 more beds in Government Ayurveda College.
“If needed, we will set up more COVID-19 Care Centres at Pon Jesly Engineering College and SLB Government Higher Secondary School. The Government Engineering College at Konam will also become a COVID-19 Care Centre after the counting of votes is over,” Mr. Aravind said adding that 85,000 persons had been vaccinated in the district.