HYDERABAD: In a setback to public health efforts, several ASHA workers, ANMs and doctors working in the Public Health Centres (PHC) are affected with Covid-19 making it difficult for the Health Department to deliver essential services.
As many as 527 public health staff across 89 Public Health Centers and 150 Basti Dawakhanas are down with Covid, as on January 25. There are a total of 3000-plus staff and one-sixth of them have contracted Covid-19 in this wave, say officials.
“It is difficult but we are managing with the existing staff. After a 7-day-isolation period, most of them are able to resume duties,” informed Dr J Venkati, DMHO Hyderabad.
The problem is more severe because the cases which are coming up are concentrated in few PHC clusters over others leading to individual centres suffering a staff crunch.
TS sees 4559 new Covid cases, two deaths
Telangana reported 4559 cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday taking the number of active cases in the State to 36,269.
The authorities conducted 1,13,670 tests on the day. The State also saw recovery of 1961 individuals in the last 24 hours.
Currently, 3335 are hospitalised and 807 of them are in the ICU followed by 1398 on oxygen support. Two individuals lost their lives to the virus on the day, taking death toll to 4077.
Meanwhile, highest cases came in from GHMC with 1450, followed by Medchal with 432 cases and 322 in Rangareddy.
Karimnagar achieves 100% vaccination
Karimnagar district has achieved 100 per cent double dose Covid vaccination of its target beneficiaries. On the occasion, Health minister T Harish Rao appreciated the district officials for achieving the feat.
According to sources, as many as 7,94,404 doses were administered to beneficiaries on Tuesday to achieve the milestone