The district administration has decided to scale up facilities at government hospitals in Kasaragod. The decision was taken in the wake of Karnataka refusing to reopen border roads, affecting several patients in the district who were dependent on hospital facilities in the neighbouring State.
Soon after there was an increase in COVID-19 cases in Kasaragod, the Karnataka government decided to close the national highway and other arterial border roads that connected Mangaluru in Karnataka to the district. The roads were blocked by dumping laterite soil and putting up barricades. Karnataka police officers were deployed at the check-post and they denied entry to vehicles or people from Kerala.
Six persons who reportedly tried to cross the check-post and were forced to return later died without getting specialised treatment. A lot of people in Kasaragod were dependent on Mangaluru for dialysis and chemotherapy, District Collector D. Sajith Babu told The Hindu . Hence, it was decided to increase shifts from one to three in dialysis units at Kasaragod Government Hospital, District Hospital and Trikaripur Taluk Hospital. It would help treat over 100 patients a day, he said. Fifteen volunteers would join duty on Friday to work additional shifts at the dialysis units, he added.
Mr. Babu said the district administration decided to send patients who needed chemotherapy to the Government Medical College at Pariyaram in Kannur and to hospitals in Kozhikode.
He said people should not worry about the availability of medicines as there was sufficient stock for the next two weeks. Medicines will be delivered at homes for orders placed via the toll-free number 0499 255004. The Collector said the service of a junior health inspector would be extended to endosulfan patients in the district.
With the Kasaragod Government Hospital and the Central University of Kerala converted into COVID-19 treatment centres, it has been decided to fully utilise facilities at the District Hospital at Kanhangad to treat people suffering from other diseases, District Surveillance Officer A.T. Manoj has said. The facilities at E.K. Nayanar Memorial Cooperative Hospital at Chengala were also being utilised, he added.
