KOCHI: Hinting at a looming crisis, Health Minister KK Shailaja has warned that further relaxation to lockdown curbs may result in more Covid-19 fatalities in the state, with the hospitals even running short of ventilators.
Factors including a large elderly population, high population density and the prevalence of comorbidities among the people indicate a likely increase in deaths, she said.
Highlighting the challenges faced by the health department due to the unbridled spread of Covid-19, Shailaja said 90 per cent of people who died due to the virus were those above the age of 60.
The prevalence of lifestyle diseases is also a serious concern, Shailaja said. “Though the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd has been trying to procure more ventilators, it is evident that there is a shortage worldwide,” she said.
Speaking after inaugurating the new development projects at the Ernakulam Government Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery via videoconferencing on Thursday, the health minister said Kerala had put up a strong fight against the pandemic. “We have successfully managed to keep the number of deaths below 500. Compared to other Indian states, the fatality rate is the lowest here,” she said.
Despite these factors, the state’s collective effort has kept the Covid fatality count in check, Shailaja said. Terming the facilities at Covid First-Line Treatment Centres in Ernakulam district ‘ideal’, she said strengthening the ‘Grand Care’ programme for the elderly and controlling the virus spread in residential colonies should be the state’s focus areas now.