A spike in Covid-19 positive cases has exposed poor medical infrastructure in Yadgir, the youngest district of the state, carved out of Kalaburagi in December 2009. This is the only district in Kalyana Karnataka region where a government medical college is yet to be established.
The district is facing a shortage of specialist doctors to treat Covid-19 patients with co-morbidities. Till Friday, the district had 373 positive cases (345 active), securing an unwanted fourth position in the state.
The district was coronavirus-free till May 11 and lost green zone tag after a couple who travelled back from Ahmedabad tested positive on May 12.
According to district administration sources, over 14,000 migrant labourers have travelled back to the district from Maharashtra after the lockdown norms were eased. They kept coming in Shramik trains. Positive cases are being reported in large numbers among the Maharashtra returnees. However, the shortage of specialists has kept the district administration on tenterhooks.
The new district hospital has been converted into Covid-19 hospital even before its inauguration. Government hospitals are functioning with about 50% doctors as the doctors are reluctant to work, given the poor infrastructure, the sources said.
Deputy Commissioner M Kurmarao told DH that this shortage has not come in the way of treating Covid patients. Positive patients have been categorised as symptomatic, asymptomatic, moderate, vulnerable, mild and very mild. There will be normal treatment for patients with very mild symptoms.
Specialist doctors are required for patients with co-morbidities. Such patients will be sent to the ESIC hospital or Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences, both in Kalaburagi, for specialised treatment.
So far, the district has luckily not reported such patients. As the people are testing positive for the infections before being symptomatic, it has become easy for the doctors to treat them. “We have kept ready Covid Care Centres for positive patients,” the DC said.
Except Yadgir, other districts (Kalaburagi, Raichur, Ballari, Bidar and Koppal) in the region have medical colleges.