MANGALURU: The surge in Covid-19 cases in Bhatkal has exposed authorities sluggish attitude and lack of co-ordination between the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. Though Covid cases linked to First Neuro Hospital (FNH) in Mangaluru was the rise, Dakshina Kannada administration apparently did not show any urgency in sharing the information about its OPD patients with other districts that could have helped in containing spread of infection.
A Bhatkal couple had visited the hospital on April 20 for seizures treatment to their 5-month-old baby. Three days later, FNH reported the first positive case with the death of a 78-year-old in-patient. Ideally, DK authorities should have immediately alerted the hospital's past OPD patients to either go for test or ensure they are mandatorily put under quarantine. But it took 12 long days for the DK administration to share OPD visitors details with Uttara Kannada and other concerned districts.
FNH MD Dr Rajesh Shetty claimed there was no delay from the hospital side in sharing information with the district administration as they had been doing it on daily basis since February 1 itself. In her defence, DK DC Sindhu B Rupesh maintained that it took time to collate the OPD patients data but the process had started on April 23 itself.
On the other hand, the UK administration had no clue as to which hospital the baby took treatment, though it had issued emergency passes to the Bhatkal couple to visit Mangaluru. This exposes absence of proper mechanism to keep a tab on people who enter/exit districts for medical emergencies which could help in taking necessary measures.
Out of 19 Bhatkal cases linked to FNH, the first was reported on May 5, the same day on which Dakshina Kannada had mailed the list of OPD patients to it.
FNH being the only pure neuro hospital in the state apart from NIMHANS, gets patients from far off places like Mysuru, Kannur, Karwar, Thalaserry and others. Everyday, 90-100 patients turn up at hospital's OPD and over 60 percent of them are from outside Dakshina Kannada which is a matter of serious concern in the backdrop of Bhaktal cases. Dakshina Kannada DC said she will see if there is need to appeal all those who have visited FNH during April to undergo tests.