MYSURU: While healthcare capitals and financial nerve centres across the world are crumbling under the Covid pandemic pressure, Mysuru, with its limited infrastructure and a vast and diverse demographic, won the battle against the virus by bringing down the number of active cases to zero. As the last two recovered patients walked out of the Coviddesignated hospital on Friday, they were cheered and presented with flowers by the medical staff.
The P534 and P341 thanked the doctors and said it is a rebirth for them. The district, which once topped the tally in the state with multiple clusters, now has an exceptional 100 per cent recovery rate with zero mortality, a rarity among other red zones in the country. On April 18, Mysuru had 62 active cases, while Bengaluru had just 47. But on Friday, Bengaluru had 93, while Mysuru zero. Since March 21, when the first case was detected, the district authorities have battled the yet-to-be solved Nanjangud Jubliant Pharma Company cluster, which gathered national attention after a super spreader infected 74 people, ten cases of Tablighi Jamaat members, a case of two people, who had returned from abroad, infecting two others and two SARI cases.
The district was initially suffering from lack of medical infrastructure, as the designated Covid hospital was functioning out of KR Hospital that was built during the princely era. The designated hospital was later shifted to the district hospital, which was yet to be completed and did not even have oxygen lines then. Incidentally, the hospital still does not have an operation theatre. Meanwhile, 600 people, who have returned to the city from other states and countries, are under quarantine. Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar congratulated the district administration, incharge ministers, doctors and citizens for making the district Covid free.
He said the district getting into the green zone from red is a great achievement, and recalled the efforts of the district administration. He said the earlier district incharge minister V Sommanna and the incumbent S T Somashekar have effectively handled the situation and shouldered their responsibility while ensuring that 5,332 people were quarantined effectively. Somashekar too lauded the efforts of the district administration, doctors and officials. “I will celebrate this by applauding the doctors, Asha workers and nurses, who are the real Covid warriors,” he said.