The Jaganmohan Reddy government has come to the aid of a Covid-19 frontline warrior, offering to foot the Rs 1.5 crore medical treatment cost.
Dr Bhaskar Rao, 38, a medical officer in Karamchedu Primary Health Centre in Prakasam district had tested positive for Covid-19 in April, along with his wife Dr Bhagya Lakshmi, 38, an assistant professor in Radio-diagnosis at the Guntur Medical College.
The couple was initially admitted to the Government General Hospital, Guntur on April 30 and were also given Remdesivir.
As Rao's condition worsened, on 3 May he was shifted to Ayush hospital in Vijayawada and on 9 May to a private hospital in Hyderabad. Put on a ventilator, he was later shifted to another corporate hospital in the city.
“There Rao was advised to be put on ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and the family was told that a transplantation of lungs, that were badly damaged, is needed. But the cost involved is Rs 1.5 crore, a sum they could not afford,” officials said.
After hearing about the physician's situation from state minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, who represents Prakasam district, Chief Minister Reddy responded immediately and directed the concerned officials to ensure that the doctor gets good treatment. The CM stated that the AP government will bear the transplantation and treatment cost, from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
“The Chief Minister's kind gesture in support of the government doctor renews our commitment in fighting the pandemic,” said Dr Pidakala Syamsundar, General Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Doctors Association.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 second wave appears to be on a declining trend in Andhra Pradesh, with the daily new positive cases falling below the nine thousand mark on Sunday. Out of the 83,690 samples tested between Saturday and Sunday morning, 8976 have tested positive.
The active cases, at present, in the state are 1.23 lakh.
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