CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is set to increase hospital beds as the state recorded 3827 fresh COVID-19 cases and 61 deaths on Monday. So far, 1,14,978 people have tested positive while the death toll is 1571.
Addressing reporters here, after a meeting with 43 senior doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Health Minister Dr C Vijayabaskar said that 1000 more beds will be added to the hospital by next week, taking the total to 2000.
"In RGGGH, 15,000 patients have taken X-Rays, 5000 have taken CT scans and 70,000 COVID samples were lifted," he said, adding that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday would be inaugurating a Rs 20 crore worth linear accelerator machine and Rs 15 crore worth PET scan machine for treating cancer patients at the hospital.
He added that of the 193 dialysis patients with COVID-19 who came to the hospital, 192 have been cured.
"Tower-3 of the hospital too will be opened soon and laying of an oxygen pipeline is currently happening there on a war footing. RGGGH is not just a treatment hospital but now has become a research centre," he said.
He also said that a separate block has been allocated at the Stanley Hospital for the Madurai based Dhanvantari Ayurveda Nilayam for treating COVID-19 patients.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old girl from Madurai with Anaemia and Plummer Vinson Syndrome, admitted on June 30 at the Government Hospital, died on July 4, while the majority of the deceased were aged above 50 and 53 people had comorbidities.
Chennai alone recorded 1747 fresh cases and 30 deaths. Of the 70,017 cases in the city, the active cases are only 24,052. The toll in the city is now 1082.
In Tamil Nadu, 3793 people were discharged on Monday alone, taking the total number discharged to 66,571, which is higher than the active cases of 46,883.
A total of 33,518 people were tested on Monday across the 95 testing labs in the state and 13.16 lakh people have been tested overall.
Out of the 3.18 lakh people who have returned to the state, 3902 have tested positive.