Mysuru is reporting more COVID-19 deaths as patients from Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and also from Bengaluru city were being rushed here in critical stages. More patients from neighbouring districts are being shifted to Mysuru out of fear which needs to go and everyone has to work together to expunge panic about the contagion, said Minister in charge of Mysuru district S.T. Somashekar.
The Minister was in Hunsur on Wednesday to take stock of COVID-19 situation in the taluk.
Later, presiding over a meeting on the steps to be taken for combating the pandemic, he said not all patients need oxygenated beds but the people think otherwise and seek such beds for patients. The onus is on the officials to persuade the public on patients in need of such beds.
The biggest priority of the officers has to be dispelling fears of COVID-19 by spreading information on the facilities available in case of an infection and the number of patients recovering from the disease and getting discharged. “This will build morale in the society.”
Hunsur is the second (after K.R. Nagar) among the taluks where vaccination coverage is encouraging. “I don’t think there will be a rush for vaccines after May 1 since the government as well as the private hospitals will provide free vaccines to the persons above 18 years of age as announced by the State government,” he told the meeting.
100 ventilators for Mysuru
Mr. Somashekar claimed that sufficient quantity of Remdesivir injections had been made available to the government hospitals and the private hospitals will soon be getting the drug with 998 injections on the way to Mysuru, which is also getting as many as 100 ventilators and 20 ‘Dura cylinders’ which are vacuum-insulated liquid gas cylinders for storing medical oxygen.
Meanwhile, 100 more oxygenated beds are being added for COVID-19 treatment with the renovated Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital in Lakshmipuram being converted into a COVID-19 Hospital in view of a surge in cases. The hospital is expected to become operational soon as the work on installing beds and other amenities are underway.
The Minister, accompanied by MUDA Chairman H.V. Rajeev, inspected the hospital and saw the steps taken for making nearly 100 beds. Nearly 50 per cent of the aid has come from the MUDA for readying the hospital, he said, adding that the government will give its nod for its functioning soon.
“As of now, 70 oxygenated beds had been kept ready. This number is being increased to 100 soon,” he told reporters after the inspection.
