VISAKHAPATNAM: District Collector V Vinay Chand on Saturday said 403 doctors were appointed in COVID-19 hospitals with the help of Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Speaking to mediapersons after a review meeting of the COVID-19 Task Force conducted by Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, the Collector said there will be a qualitative change in COVID-19 hospitals within a week.
With the help of an app, the availability of beds in various hospitals will be monitored. In Visakhapatnam, 14 private hospitals were permitted to treat COVID-19 cases. Hereafter, the hospitals need not refer cases to VIMS. No patient should be denied admission in hospital, he said.
The Collector also said 42 new urban health centres will be set up covering all the 74 divisions in the GVMC. For shifting patients, 54 old ambulances are being repaired, he said. The Tourism Minister said 3,010 people are currently in home isolation in the district. As many as 1.83 lakh corona tests have been conducted in Visakhapatnam so far.
In all, 3,290 people are in COVID-19 care centres and 15,042 in home quarantine. A 500-bed facility for COVID-19 patients will soon be inaugurated in the millennium block of KGH, he said. GVMC Commissioner G Srijana, MP BV Satyavathi, MLAs Tippala Nagi Reddy, Karanam Dharmasri and A Adeep Raj and other officials were present.