In a major relief, the government doctors and other healthcare staff resumed COVID-19 testing across Mysuru district on Monday after a four-day breakdown in the wake of their strike over the death of Nanjangud in-charge Taluk Health Officer (THO) S.R. Nagendra.
The resumption of COVID-19 duties by doctors and supporting staff who reported to work came as a breather as Mysuru is one of the high-risk districts with a high rate of infection and deaths.
There was no update on the COVID-19 cases, discharges and deaths since Thursday following the doctors’ strike, which was called off on Sunday after the government’s assurances.
A senior Health Department official said: “The tests have restarted since Monday morning and doctors, healthcare personnel and lab technicians have resumed their respective duties.”
The strike had brought testing by the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoHFW) to a grinding halt. Though the tests (RT-PCR) under the Department of Medical Education went on as usual, the results had to be compiled and sent to the State authorities by the DoHFW staff who struck work halting the coordination.
The strike had been conditionally withdrawn by the Karnataka Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) and doctors on duty wore black armbands as a mark of protest till the inquiry report into the death was submitted.
While welcoming the transfer of Mysuru ZP CEO Prashanth Kumar Mishra, doctors had urged the government to fill up the vacant posts in the DoHFW as the shortage of staff was taking a toll on them and appoint medical officers, who had been fighting the pandemic since over five months, as COVID-19 nodal officers.
Tests take off
The Rapid Antigen Tests, which had been severely hit, resumed at two places in Mysuru city and also in some towns as the health personnel resumed collection of swab samples from the public. Over 300 swab samples were collected at the Town Hall here for the test. The rush for giving swab samples was more after a four-day disruption. COVID-19 testing also began at a school in N.R. Mohalla.
PDOs protest
Meanwhile, the Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs) of Mysuru district staged a demonstration in Mysuru on Monday demanding the withdrawal of ZP CEO’s transfer. They urged the government to put the transfer on hold until the probe report was submitted. The PDOs also urged for a fair probe into the health official’s death.
