Covid surge keeps officials in erstwhile Warangal on toes

Beds increased at MGMH, KMC hospitals as several villages observe self-lockdown in erstwhile Warangal district

Warangal: The sudden spurt in Covid-19 infection cases in erstwhile Warangal district is keeping medical and health officials including and management of private hospitals, on tenterhooks.

With an alarming 29 positive cases reported from Ramchandrunipet, a remote village in Mangapet mandal of Mulugu district in just three days, District Collector S Krishna Aditya issued orders declaring the village as ‘containment zone’. This is for the first time that a village has been declared as a containment zone in 2021.

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Meanwhile, the ‘self-lockdown’ imposed by the people at Kadipikonda village under the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) limits is still being observed since its declaration 10 days ago. Enugallu village of Parvathagiri mandal in Warangal Rural district is also witnessing an undeclared lockdown for the last one week due to a sudden rise in the positive cases. People participating in funerals was the main cause for the spread of the virus in these villages, sources said.

According to Mulugu District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr Allam Appaiah, the administration shifted some Covid-19 patients to the Covid care centre at Eturunagaram besides declaring Ramchandrunipet village as a containment zone. “We have also ensured spraying of Sodium Hypochlorite to kill the virus at the village,” he added.

While a total of 175 positive cases were reported in Warangal Urban district on Saturday (April 17), 60 cases were recorded in Warangal Rural district. Mahabubabad district witnessed 57 cases and Jangaon recorded 44 cases. Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Mulugu districts also reported a rise in cases at 25 and 22 cases respectively on Saturday.

With the number of cases shooting up, the authorities at the State-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH) are gearing up to meet any exigency. When contacted, MGMH Superintendent Dr K Nagarjun Reddy said that they would be increasing the number of beds in the Covid-19 ward from 550 to 800 beds soon.

“As many as 450 beds with oxygen facility and 100 beds with ventilator facility are available at the hospital,” he said, adding that a total of 170 Covid patients were undergoing treatment at the MGMH. Meanwhile, six patients succumbed to Covid-19 infection at the MGMH on Sunday.

On the other hand, several private hospitals are unable to take on more Covid patients due to a shortage of oxygen and Remdesivir supplies in Warangal. On condition of anonymity, the Managing Director of a major hospital in Warangal said that they could provide treatment to only 70 patients though they can admit at least 100 patients.

“Unlike last year, most of the infected persons are coming to the hospital for oxygen facility, but we are unable to provide beds to them. The government must take steps to double the supply of the oxygen cylinders and Remdesivir injections,” he added.

Meanwhile, founder president of the Society for Public Welfare and Initiative (SPWI) Dr Suresh Devath urged the government to convert the newly constructed 250-bed super-speciality hospital in Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) campus into a Covid care hospital to facilitate treatment for the poor among the poor Covid patients. “There is an urgent need to use this hospital for treatment of Covid patients,” he added.

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