'Be on guard': Tamil Nadu minister Ma Subramanian warns of COVID-19 cases spike after Pongal

Health Minister Ma Subramanian warned that the number of COVID cases in Tamil Nadu might rise further after the Pongal holidays as more than 8 lakh people from Chennai travelled to rural places.
Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian (Photo| Facebook)
Tamil Nadu health minister Ma Subramanian (Photo| Facebook)

CHENNAI: COVID-19 is once again spreading fast in Tamil Nadu, and the State has 3,787 containment zones. Chennai alone has 9,237 streets with active cases, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Wednesday, while inaugurating various facilities at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital here.

Though Tamil Nadu's test positivity rate (TPR) is less than 20 per cent, people should be cautious, wear face masks, and practise physical distancing, as the number of cases in States such as Karnataka and Maharashtra is shooting up, Subramanian said, and pointed out that Delhi's TPR is nearly 28 per cent.

He also warned that the number of COVID cases in Tamil Nadu might rise further after the Pongal holidays as more than 8 lakh people from Chennai travelled to rural places for the festival.

On some private hospitals making even COVID patients with mild symptoms get admitted and pay hefty charges, the minister said complaints can be lodged on the State medical helpline 104. The Directorate of Medical Services will send a team to the hospital, conduct an inquiry, and take action, he added, and said that during the second wave of the pandemic, action was taken against 40 private hospitals, but this time, no such official complaints have been received.

Of the 1.92 lakh beds available for COVID patients in the State, only about 9,000 are occupied, Subramanian said.

At the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Subramanian inaugurated a hand transplant operation theatre, 20 beds at the plastic surgery department’s post operative ward, a radiotherapy machine with Cobalt 60 radioisotope, a forensic block with a 'cadaver skill lab' and a museum.

Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, and other officials were present at the event.

Medical officials turn up late, get notice

The Health Department has issued a notice to the medical superintendent and a resident medical officer (RMO) at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, Triplicane, for reporting late to duty.

The notice was issued as the health minister made a surprise visit to the hospital and found that senior doctors were yet to report for duty. The Director of Medical Education has sought an explanation from the doctors

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