The State government on Thursday came under attack for not setting up testing facilities for COVID-19 in north Karnataka, even though the region has already reported a death and two others have tested positive.
“Is north Karnataka part of Karnataka or not? All testing centres are around Bengaluru and Mysuru in south Karnataka. The first death happened in Kalaburagi,” Leader of the Opposition S.R. Patil said in the Legislative Council.
Furthermore, he said that people were also transiting through airports in Belagavi, Hubballi, Bidar and Kalaburagi, and thus the region required testing centres. “The people of north Karnataka are living in fear and you are not bothered about the region,” he said. Janata Dal (S) member K.T. Srikante Gowda added that several districts in the State border Maharashtra, which has so far registered the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the country. He said the daily interaction between the people of the two States at the border increases the risk of transmission of virus.
Currently, according to Health Minister B. Sriramulu, two labs are in Bengaluru, and one each in Mysuru, Hassan and Shivamogga. “Steps are being taken to establish another lab in Kalaburagi,” he said.
Responding to the Opposition attack, Deputy Chief Minister and IT/BT Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said there has been no discrimination between south and north Karnataka. He said that higher bio-safety levels are required for virus extraction and disposal, and the government had made provisions in the Budget for setting up such molecular labs in all district hospitals.
Meanwhile, Mr. Patil sought the setting up of a helpline to assist students from Karnataka now stuck in COVID-19-affected nations.
