More than 1,800 RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen tests are conducted in Kodagu district daily. There are nine mobile teams in the district to conduct Covid tests, said District In-charge Minister V Somanna.
There are 200 oxygen supported beds in the district hospital in addition to 56 ICU beds and 43 ventilators. The district has 32 ambulances and five have been reserved for swab collection and four for the transportation of bodies, he told reporters on Monday.
A hi-tech ambulance will be readied to serve the infected who are severely ill, he added.
There are five Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHC). Already, a Dedicated Covid Health Centre has been opened at the medical college in Madikeri, he said.
The centre has been supplied with 87 oxygen concentrators. Separate facilities have been provided for the newborn infants in ICU, along with the dialysis of the non-Covid patients, said the minister.
The district has a 13,000-litre capacity oxygen storage plant. There is a demand for 4,000 litres of oxygen. Accordingly, I have appealed to the chief minister to supply 13,000 litres of oxygen at one stretch, said Somanna.
The minister said that he has directed officials to recruit doctors and other staff on a contract basis. The officials have been directed to pay the salary of those who have been recruited on a contract basis to serve during the Covid pandemic.
In addition to the three existing Covid Care Centres, three more Covid Care Centres have been opened. About 100 beds in Kodagu Vidyalaya, 200 beds in Navodaya Vidyalaya, 100 beds in Koodige School, 100 beds in Basavanahalli School, 100 beds in Arhi and 100 beds in Balagunda have been arranged to treat the Covid infected, he added.
To keep a track of those in home isolation, 16 nodal officers have been appointed. There are 3,530 people undergoing treatment in home isolation in Kodagu district, he said.
To identify those in home isolation, a seal will be stamped on their hand. All those arriving in the district from outside the state and district should remain in home quarantine mandatorily for 14 days. The seal will be stamped on their hands as well. There are 2,500 people in home quarantine in the district, he added.
‘Task forces set up’
The minister said that village-level and ward-level task forces have been set up to conduct health inspection.
There are 37 vaccination centres in the district. Following a request by people, a vaccination centre will be opened in Ponnampet, he said.
Lopamudra Hospital run by Karuna Trust and LMC have come forward to reserve the entire hospital for Covid patients and have decided to provide free treatment. The deputy commissioner has been directed to take a call on the same after discussing with hospital heads, he added.
Vaccines
A total of 43,028 (86%) of people above 60 years have availed the first dose of vaccine, while 18,679 have availed the second dose.
In the age group of 45 to 60 years, 36,598 were administered with the first dose, while 5,834 were given the second dose of vaccine.
As many as 1,427 people in the age group of 18 to 45 have availed the first dose of the vaccine. The positivity rate in the district is 24.9%.