With the number of COVID-19 cases registered in the district witnessing a decline, the general outpatient and emergency services are expected to be up and running in ten days at government and private hospitals in the district.
The District COVID-19 Task Force Committee, which met here on Thursday under the aegis of Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayanaswamy and Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, also decided to make COVID testing mandatory for private and government schoolteachers, with the Centre mulling to allow schools to reopen from next week. Similarly, a post-COVID treatment will be offered at SVR Ruia Government General Hospital soon.
Chittoor district has registered 79,800 cases so far, while the testing capacity improved from 3,000 a day in March to 7,000 a day as on Thursday. “Admission into COVID Care Centres and private hospitals has witnessed a sharp decline. At present, there are only 2,800 active cases in the district,” Dr. Gupta explained.
SVIMS and Ruia hospitals have registered zero deaths for the second day in a row, which he said was an encouraging indicator.
Mr. Narayanaswamy opined that doctors, in spite of offering best services, should also try to instill courage and confidence in COVID-19 patients by creating awareness. Mr. Ramachandra Reddy stressed the need to get mandatory testing done for teachers, in view of the schools reopening early next month. It was also decided to hand over all the pilgrim accommodation complexes, which doubled up as COVID Care Centres, back to the TTD, barring Sri Padmavathi Nilayam in Tiruchanur.
Task Force members G. Ravi Prabhu and P. Krishna Prasanthi made a presentation on COVID death audit and ICMR guidelines respectively. Member of Parliament (Chittoor) N. Reddeppa, Madanapalle MLA Nawaz Basha, RDO Kanaka Narasa Reddy, DM&HO Penchalaiah, Ruia Superintendent S. Bharathi, SVMC Principal Jaya Bhaskar, TUDA Secretary S. Lakshmi and IMA members participated in the meeting.
