MANGALURU: Though the Covid-19 test positivity rate (TPR) in Dakshina Kannada has dipped to 7.51 per cent in the last one week, the death rate has gone up by almost three times during the same period. Between June 15 and 21, the district reported 82 deaths as against 30 recorded in the previous week (June 8-14).Sources said a significant number of deaths reported last week was due to late referral of patients to hospitals and alleged negligence by doctors at the primary level (PHCs and private clinics).
To prevent such things, the district administration has formed taluk-level squads.District Health Officer Dr Kishore Kumar said the tahsildar will head the squad, while the taluk health officer, taluk hospital AMO and one member each of the KPME, IMA and Ayushman Bharat committee will be its members. In case there is a death within 72 hours of hospitalisation, they will find out whether there was any fault on the part of the local doctors or any other health staff whom the patients first approached.
He said that in some cases, private doctors are even found giving oxygen and nebulisation to Covid-19 patients in their clinics instead of referring them to Covid hospitals. The patients were shifted to hospitals in critical condition, leading to death within a few days. In some cases, symptomatic patients were given immunity boosters instead of recommending them to take Covid test and eventually, their condition worsened.
The DHO attributed the high number of deaths in Dakshina Kannada and Mysuru in the last one week to the ‘technical issue’ in Covid Health Bed Management System introduced on a pilot basis two weeks ago. While earlier, the deaths were analysed at district level and only the deaths that occurred due to Covid were reflected in the bulletin, now even those who died due to non-Covid reasons are taken into account. The issue has been brought to the notice of the higher-ups in the Health Department.