VELLORE: Saying that every death caused by coronavirus infection is being completely audited, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan on Saturday informed that the government has been focusing on bringing down the fatality.
Talking to reporters in Vellore after chairing a review meeting, he said, “The death rate in Tamil Nadu currently stands at 1.64 per cent. Every death is being subjected to auditing. We are focusing on how to reduce the fatality.”
The fatality is higher among elderly Covid patients because of comorbid conditions, he noted.
Radhakrishnan claimed that the State stands second in recovery rate next to Delhi.
“Eighty per cent of Covid patients are discharged in the State. The combined treatment protocol including allopathy, siddha and ayurveda systems have paid the dividends in successfully treating positive patients,” he stated.
He also said new cases are gradually decreasing as the rate has dropped below 10 per cent.
“Every day about 68,000 tests are being done. Of them, below 6,000 turn positive. The rate is below 10 per cent,” he said.
Radhakrishnan said the strategy of aggressive testing as advised by the Chief Minister is yielding the desired results.
The Chief Minister has advised to test ten times the number of positive cases. So far, 30,88,000 tests were done, he stated.
Vellore district Collector A Shanmuga Sundaram, SP Pravesh Kumar and Deputy Director of Health Services T Manivannan were also present at the meeting.
The Health Secretary inspected Govt Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH) and Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital and discussed the treatment protocol with the doctors.
Later, he visited Ranipet and held a review meeting with district collector S Divyadharshini and other top officials.