KADAPA /VIJAYAWADA /VISAKHAPATNAM:Though no cases of the deadly coronavirus have been reported in the State, the health department is leaving nothing to chance.
On Tuesday, it said all teaching and district hospitals must set up five-bedded special isolation wards to meet any eventuality. The announcement came amid a minor scare, as a medico studying in China recently returned home to Kadapa district and was kept in isolation for three days.
However, her test results have returned negative, and she has no symptoms of the infection. On learning that she returned from China to her hometown Rayachoti for a vacation, district medical and health officials tested her for coronavirus, said Kadapa district medical and health officer Uma Sundari. She was then kept in isolation in her house, and when the test results showed that she was fine, the officials heaved a sigh of relief.
Nani directs officials to set up isolation wards at all district hosps
A good number of youngsters from Rayachoti and other parts of Kadapa district are studying medicine in China, and officials suspect some of them came home for the Sankranti vacation. Meanwhile, health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) took stock of the situation arising out of the coronavirus scare on Tuesday, and directed officials to set up isolation wards at all teaching and district hospitals in the State. He also asked officials to make ventilators available in the special wards.
“There is no need to panic as nobody in the State has tested positive for coronavirus so far,’’ Nani told reporters after the review, adding that the State is prepared to tackle any eventuality. He also asked medical and health officials to immediately appoint a special officer to tackle any situation that may arise, and asked them to be on the alert.
Meanwhile, the Medical and Health Department in Visakhapatnam is prepared to deal with any eventuality, as people reach the city from China via Malaysia and Singapore. Three beds and ventilators have been kept ready in an isolation ward of King George Hospital (KGH), and Chest Hospital has set up an isolation ward. With the only major international airport in the State, Visakhapatnam receives several passengers from Malaysia and Singapore.
Health officials have put up banners at the airport to raise awareness about coronavirus. An ambulance has also been arranged at the airport to shift any suspected patients to KGH.K Indira Devi, from the medicine department of KGH, has been appointed as the nodal officer to take preventive measures to avoid the spread of coronavirus in the city.