A rapid rise in coronavirus cases across the city has left residents unable to decide on whether they should go out and get themselves tested for COVID-19, or remain confined to the safety of their homes.
People are worried that symptoms such as sore throat, running nose, and fever — usual for this time of the year — are all indications of coronavirus.
The district witnessed a record 1,049 cases on Wednesday, most of which were reported from GVMC limits. With the surge in cases, thousands of people are flocking to testing centres. While most of them are asymptomatic and have not come in contact with a COVID-19 patient, some people who fall in the high-risk group and are also experiencing most of the symptoms for COVID-19 are unable to get themselves tested.
A man who went to a testing centre with his father, who was suffering from acute breathlessness, had to return in vain due to the heavy rush. “I then approached 13 hospitals to admit my father, but all of them refused to admit him without a test result for COVID-19. I then finally managed to get my father tested at a notified private diagnostic centre, but by then it was too late and he passed away. The test results later confirmed that he was COVID-19 positive,” he told The Hindu, requesting not to be named.
District admin’s roadmap
Speaking to The Hindu, Collector V. Vinay Chand said that all 74 wards, including Anakapalle and Bheemili under GVMC (Urban) will now have a ward health centre (WHC) in each ward. “We are going by the old ward bifurcation, as people are still comfortable with it. Each ward will have a WHC, and people with symptoms such as dry cough, fever and sore throat or breathlessness can go there. They can take the help of ASHA workers, ANMs or ward volunteers if required. If the doctors present there feel that a test is necessary, he or she will be tested, and further action will be taken accordingly,” he said.
“Younger people with mild symptoms will be sent to COVID Care Centres or home quarantine. Those in the high-risk group will be shifted to District COVID Hospitals or isolation wards,” he said.
Apart from the existing District COVID Hospitals such as VIMS, Gayatri and GIMSR, a number of private hospitals have been roped in, and soon there will be 22 notified District COVID Hospitals in GVMC limits alone. These hospitals will have over 7,000 beds, he said.
This apart, 17 other private hospitals will be declared as partial COVID hospitals, with one or two blocks or wards catering exclusively to COVID patients, said the Collector.
“We are going to officially declare them in the next couple of days as COVID hospitals and there can be no refusal of patients from these private hospitals,” he added.
Control room
A 24/7 control room with toll-free numbers is being set up at GVMC, and the numbers will be notified shortly. People can reach out through this control room and each ward is being assigned one special officer and one medical officer with three vehicles, including one fully equipped ambulance. “In total, 222 vehicles will be deployed across all the 74 wards,” said Mr. Vinay Chand. A separate control room is also being set up for rural areas, he said.
