Andhra Pradesh CM Jaganmohan Reddy announces Rs 15,000 for last rites of Covid-19 victims

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has announced Rs 15,000 towards the expenses of proper treatment and last rites of a Covid-19 victim’s body.

The decision comes in the wake of a sequence of instances in the state where Covid-19 victim bodies were transported using earth movers and tractors. These incidents occurred in Srikakulam, Chittoor, and Nellore districts in the last few weeks.

In a review meeting on the Covid-19 situation, containment measures on Tuesday, Reddy stressed on the need of improving the preventive measures and treatment of the patients.

“No hospital should turn away Covid-19 patients,” the chief minister said while instructing the officials to take strict action against the hospitals refusing treatment to Covid-19 cases.

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He also ordered a one-week special drive to ensure qualitative food, hygiene, and other services in the quarantine centres.

“Call center numbers for complaints should be displayed properly and officials should take feedback regularly.”

The directive comes after videos surfaced on social media indicating improper treatment of Covid-19 suspects in some quarantine centers.

On Monday, Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu tweeted one such video, where inmates were complaining of late meals, messy toilets etc. troubles.

"Such scenes from quarantine centres are causing anxiety among the public. If the government is spending grand amounts as claimed, why is the situation like this? Is this not corruption in the garb of treating Covid-19 patients?” Naidu tweeted.

The state has recorded 33,019 positive cases till Tuesday morning, with a total of 408 deaths. 80 of these Covid-19 deaths took place in the 48 hours between Sunday and Tuesday morning.

“Tests are being conducted in containment zones after tracing the contacts. The main reason for the deaths is patients showing up in hospitals in an advanced stage of Covid-19,” officials said.

The chief minister has approved an action plan to ready the services of 17,000 doctors and over 12,000 nurses for the requirement in the future days, the CMO said.