Corona fatalities rise to 33 in K'taka; govt tries to ensure treatment for non COVID patients
Bengaluru, May 13 (): With two more corona relateddeaths, the toll has risen to 33 in Karnataka, where 34 newpositive cases were confirmed, taking the total number ofinfections to 959, the government said on Monday, as it triedto ensure that hospitals, nursing homes and clinics providetreatment for non COVID patients.
"The Health Minister held an important meeting withrepresentatives of the Indian Medical Association and variousother related associations following grievances thathospitals, nursing homes and clinics were not providingtreatment to non-COVID patients.
Following the meeting they decided to open from tomorrowand go ahead with treating patients," Minister S Suresh Kumar,who is spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.
The Health Minister, during the meeting, also tried toresolve various issues raised by these associations, he said.
"As of 5:00 PM of May 13, cumulatively 959 COVID-19positive cases have been confirmed in the state. It includes33 deaths and 451 discharges," the department said in itsbulletin.
Out of the 474 active cases, 464 patients are inisolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while 10 arein Intensive Care Units.
Eighteen patients who recovered were discharged onWednesday.
The two deceased include a 60-year-old man from acontainment zone in Kalaburagi and a 58-year-old woman fromDakshina Kannada.
The man was brought dead on May 11 to a designatedhospital in the district, where he tested positive for COVID-19
The woman was suffering from Tuberculosis Meningitiswith Disseminated Tuberculosis.
She was earlier admitted to a private hospital on April28 and shifted to the ICU at a designated hospital onconfirming to be COVID-19 positive.
The patient died today.
The 34 new cases include 12 from Bidar, eight fromKalaburagi, four from Hassan, two each from Uttara Kannada,Davangere, Bengaluru urban and Vijayapura, and one each fromBallari and Dakshina Kannada.
Among the new cases, 12 are from a containment zone inBidar, 10 are contacts of patients already tested positive andseven have a travel history to Maharashtra.
The others include one each from a containment zone inKalaburagi, a travel history to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh,travel history to London, history of SARI (Severe AcuteRespiratory Illness), while another person's contact is beingtraced.
Contact tracing has been initiated and is in progress forall the cases, the department said.
Interestingly, among the cases was a nurse from Bengaluruurban and the other, a person who returned from London acouple of days ago.
Responding to a question about the protective gear givento nurses, Minister Kumar said there is no need to have anydoubts about the quality of PPE provided and there is nocompromise on it.
"We are tracing how she got infected," he said.
From across the state, the most number of infections havebeen reported in Bengaluru urban with 184, followed byBelagavi with 113 and Mysuru, 88.
Out of the total of 451 patients discharged so far, themaximum of 95 are from Bengaluru urban, 84 from Mysuru and 44from Kalaburagi.
A total of 1,21,178 samples have been tested so far, outof which 4,645 were tested on Wednesday alone, the healthdepartment said in its bulletin. It said, so far 1,19,420 samples reported as negative, ofwhich 4,574 reported negative on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Additional Chief Secretary, Health andFamily Welfare has issued the corrigendum on StandardOperating Procedure for International Passengers/DomesticTravelers Quarantine.
It provides relaxation to certain categories ofpassengers like pregnant women, children below 10 years,senior citizens above 80 years and terminally ill frominstitutional quarantine.
"These categories of people will remain in homequarantine. Once they come they will be tested and those foundasymptomatic will be stamped and sent home," the Minister saiddetailing about the corrigendum. KSU APRRAVINDRANATH APRRAVINDRANATH