Glaring shortcomings in the overall management of the COVID-19 situation in Anantapur district have come to the fore with at least two deaths taking place in the last two days due to delay on the part of the government machinery in shifting them to hospital and lack of sufficient oxygen-supporting beds at the Government General Hospital here.
A businessman, 50, of Tadipatri tested positive three days ago and did not have any co-morbidities. He waited for the ambulance for two days and when he had difficulty in breathing on Sunday evening, family members engaged a private ambulance to shift him to the GGH, but midway he breathed his last. His younger brother too was in the GGH, but could not get an oxygen-supporting bed. He then got himself admitted in a private hospital.
Another 65-year-old woman, who resides in the 4th Road area of the city, too waited for the ambulance for three days and breathed her last in the early hours of Monday. The body was taken away by the municipal authorities for performing last rites only in the evening. Her daughter, who too contracted the infection, was taken to the GGH.
MLA slams officials
Some of the deaths could have been averted had the officials coordinated effort with other government agencies, said Anantapur Urban MLA Anantha Venkatarami Reddy.
Patients at the GGH faced problems for the past three days due to low pressure in oxygen supply and the authorities had been attaching gas cylinders midway to improve the pressure. The MLA,who took stock of the situation along with District Collector Gandham Chandrudu, asked the engineering staff and the contractor to fix the problem at the earliest.
Of the 23 private hospitals identified for COVID treatment, in not many oxygen beds were available.
Hospital superintendent M. Ramaswamy Naik said about 200 cylinders were being utilised per day in addition to the 13KL liquid oxygen cylinder and at places where it was essential, using oxygen saturators wete being used.
There is also a severe shortage of doctors and paramedical staff at the GGH. At present, there are 461 patients in the COVID wing and 249 in the other wings of the GGH. Of the 461 persons admitted in the dedicated wing, 289 are positive, 117 suspected cases and 21 negative. They are monitored by three teams round the clock.
