With 50,000 beds Andhra Pradesh gets ready to face third COVID-19 wave in August
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government is getting ready to tackle the third wave of Coronavirus pandemic, which is likely to erupt in the third week of August, by arranging some 50,000 beds and also strengthening all medical and health infrastructure in the state.
The health authorities say that as the number of Coronavirus infections and the related deaths are rising in Delhi, Maharashtra, and Kerala, AP is no exception and the third wave of the pandemic is imminent. They are worried over the intensity and duration of the third wave.
On Tuesday alone, Maharashtra reported 9,389 new cases and 3,656 deaths while Kerala had 16,848 new cases and 104 deaths and Delhi reported 44 new cases and five deaths.
As per data available with the Union health ministry, the C-positivity rates in AP were as follows on Wednesday: East Godavari-5.09, West Godavari-3.45, Nellore-3.42, Krishna-3.13, Chittoor-3.02, Prakasam-2.93, Visakhapatnam-2.63, Guntur-2.03, Kadapa-1.93, Anantapur-1.30, Srikakulam-1.23, Vizianagaram-0.97 and Kurnool 0.73.
Taking into consideration the number of C-positive cases, deaths, positivity rate and other parameters, the AP health authorities are arranging nearly 50,000 beds at both government and private hospitals to ensure that there is no short supply of beds to face any eventuality in the near future.
Oxygen supply lines are ensured at 11 government teaching hospitals, district hospitals and area hospitals. Arrangements are in progress to ensure supply of oxygen concentrators in some health facilities like PHCs and CHCs, where the duration of stay of the infected patient is relatively less.
The health authorities issued directions to all Covid hospitals and Covid Care Centers to keep a check on beds, oxygen supply lines and ventilators to ensure their proper functioning.
As the third wave of the pandemic is likely to affect children upto 15-years-old, the health authorities are sprucing up paediatric wards in all government hospitals and arranging requisite medical equipment and amenities there.
Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy had directed the health authorities to expedite construction of one each paediatric super speciality hospitals in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.
The health department also started a listing of specialist doctors like paediatricians and paramedical and health staff for deployment in various hospitals depending on requirement.
An action plan is ready with details of health facilities, medical infrastructure and other amenities to be made use of in case of an outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic in the state.
The health authorities have stressed on the need for people to strictly observe Covid19 norms like wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
