As many as 108 health personnel who were providing healthcare services in Ballari district have thus far tested positive for COVID-19.
As per information provided at a meeting of the district’s top bureaucracy attended by Ballari Deputy Commissioner S.S. Nakul, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer K. Nitish, Superintendent of Police C.K. Baba, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Janardhan and others and presided over by Forest Minister and Ballari district in-charge B.S. Anand Singh in Ballari on Tuesday, 43 doctors in government service, four doctors in private service and several staff nurses, lab technicians and Group D employees were among the infected health workers.
Terming the development as a serious one, Mr. Singh commended the health workers for their commitment to the fight against the pandemic.
“What is required is taking precautions and not panic. However, certain people in the district are indulging in spreading panic instead of spreading awareness about the pandemic. I myself am meeting COVID-19-infected people and instilling confidence in them. I will also meet the health workers who have tested positive now,” he said.
When the meeting took up the issue of recruitment of more health staff to handle the pandemic, Mr. Nakul submitted that the district administration did invite applications from doctors and other paramedical servants, but did not receive any.
“We had invited applications for the posts of doctors, lab technician, staff nurse and Group D posts. We filled all the posts except the doctors’ as we did not receive any application,” he told the meeting.
The authorities concerned said that the administration had detected 1,342 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and identified 8,988 primary contacts and 3,472 secondary contacts of infected persons.
Mr. Singh also visited COVID-19 designated hospital and heard the grievances of the infected persons. He was found instilling confidence among the patients
