With the total number of COVID-19 positive cases increasing by the day and standing at 590 in Anantapur district as on Thursday, the district administration is looking at various options of meeting the demand for hospital beds that could cater to the needs of the new patients and one of them is to convert the entire GGH, Anantapur, into a district COVID hospital.
Officials in the district are deliberating on ways and means to convert the GGH into COVID hospital by shifting the non-COVID patients to elsewhere and having mobile clinics in all mandals with a doctor and paramedics being available for such normal cases supporting the existing Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
The idea is to have 700 COVID beds in the GGH, which is already accommodating close to 100 COVID patients.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID cases is increasing in double digits in Anantapur district though the total number remained very low till May-end.
Now people are fearing visiting large shops and restaurants, though permission has been given for opening them. The shops in Anantapur, however, are being closed at 5 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. elsewhere. Thermal guns are being used even at the District Court premises and majority of the large shops.
Beds being readied
In the phase one, the GGH is readying 150 beds out of its sanctioned strength of 500 beds exclusively for the COVID cases, while there are 445 non-covid serious cases being treated at the lone tertiary hospital. The GGH has some specialised services to cater to the neonatal intensive care, cardiac and gynaecology. The only big private hospital, KIMS Saveera, with all modern facilities is being used for COVID cases, while RDT Bathalapalli Hospital and Hindupur Government Hospital are being currently used for COVID patients. The number of ventilator beds and oxygen-supported beds are also being slowly increased by operationalising the new Super Specialty Hospital.
