The Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital (TKMCH), with 700 beds dedicated for COVID-19 patients and equipped with two oxygen plants has adequate oxygen supply, Collector K. Senthil Raj has said.
During informal chat with the reporters after inspecting the ‘fever clinic’ organised at Polepettai and Millerpuram here on Tuesday, he said the hospital was ready to receive COVID-19 patients. Since it has been equipped with 10 KLD and 6 KLD oxygen plants, the patients were getting adequate supply of oxygen and there was no need for concern.
In the rural areas, 450 beds were kept ready in the Government Hospital in Tiruchendur while COVID-19 Care Centres had been established in Government Polytechnic, Thoothukudi, Sivathi Aditanar College, Tiruchendur, Lakshmi Ammal Polytechnic, Kovilpatti, to treat patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms while patients with severe symptoms were being treated in the TKMCH. Asymptomatic patients were being allowed to get treatment in ‘home quarantine’ whose health updates are being received by designated officers on daily basis.
‘Containment zones’ being created in the urban and rural areas of the district would not hinder movement of others living in the vicinity.
The Collector informed that 36 ‘fever clinics’ were being conducted per day across the district.
In other words, three teams had been deployed in each of the 12 panchayat unions and each mobile medical team would conduct three ‘fever clinics’ in the areas allotted to them. In Thoothukudi Corporation, five medical teams had been deployed to organise 15 ‘fever clinics’ in the areas under the jurisdiction of the urban local body.
Those who were running high fever and suffering from cold and other COVID-19 symptoms were being referred for RT-PCR tests to confirm positivity. When a visitor of the ‘fever clinic’ tests positive for COVID-19, ‘contact tracing’ to locate those who were touch with the patients and the neighbours would be started instantly to contain further spread of the infection.
“While I thank the people for cooperating with the district administration in the anti-COVID-19 operations by adhering to the appropriate behavior formulated by the government, I appeal to the public to strictly follow the lockdown norms during Sundays and the nights,” he said.
He also inspected the COVID-19 Care Centre established at Government Polytechnic and asked the officials there to ensure sufficient supply of drinking water and cleanliness there.
