Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, June 7

The Health Department officials may have their own excuses, but the fact that the district witnessed 411 Covid deaths alone in May has confirmed the worst fears of residents that the government badly failed to ramp up the facilities here. The case fatality rate (CFR) of 5.3 per cent here is the highest in the state.

As per sources, so far, the district has witnessed 796 Covid deaths, of which the highest 121 are from Sangrur block, followed by Longowal (115), Moonak (84), Kauhrian (75) and others. Of the total 604 deaths from January to date, 411 happened in May alone.

The lack of heath facilities coupled with reluctance for testing and admission for Covid treatment is proving fatal for patients. Besides, family members of the infected, too, have been facing social stigma as relatives and neighbours start distancing themselves from them.

“My grandfather died with Covid last month. Our family was unwilling to go to hospital after getting information about the lack of required health facilities there,” said a resident of Sangrur.

Before the elevation of Malerkotla as district this week, Sangrur had two level-2 facilities at the Civil Hospital, Sangrur, and Malerkotla, while Dhuri hospital has dedicated facilities for pregnant women. But still patients of many areas, including Khanauri, Moonak, Lehra, Kauhrian and Dirba, have to cover a long distance even for L-2 facility.

In the district, authorities do not have even a single functional ventilator. The one lying at the local hospital was shifted to Rajindra hospital in Patiala for L-3 facility after the outbreak of Covid last year.

“Mainly late admissions and testing are responsible for the highest CFR 5.13 percent and 411 deaths in May month. With our consistent efforts, we succeeded in increasing our testing. Ventilators are only in Level 3 facility and we have been providing all required facilities at our L-2 facilities” said Dr Anjna Gupta, Civil Surgeon Sangrur.