Rs 5,000 incentive for plasma donors in Andhra Pradesh; Former minster succumbs to Covid-19

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy has announced a cash incentive of Rs 5,000 for the recovered individuals donating their plasma for Covid-19 treatment.

The state government has also launched a portal where a real-time dashboard displays the availability of ventilators, oxygen beds, general beds, and ICU beds across 13 districts in the state.

AP has been recording new cases and deaths in alarming numbers for the past several days. As of Saturday, the state has registered a total of over 1.5 lakh cases out of which 72,188 are active. Total deceased is 1407.

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In a review meeting on Covid-19 remedial steps on Friday, Reddy directed officials to constantly monitor four aspects in Covid-19 care – medicine availability, good treatment, quality food and hygiene in all the Covid-19 hospitals.

Health officials stated that the patients suffering from fever for two or three days and having respiratory difficulties would be admitted in hospitals regardless of a Covid-19 test. The decision is taken considering the few recent incidents in the state where people died suddenly even as they waited for their test report or their report coming negative.

The CM reiterated that awareness should be created through hoardings, pamphlets, media campaigns to the extent that no one would be unnecessarily afraid of the virus or stigmatize the patients.

Following the CM’s instructions, the health department has initiated a special portal where people can view the live status of beds available in the Covid-19 hospitals.

The real-time dashboard http://dashboard.covid19.ap.gov.in/ims/hospbed_reports/ would display the details of ventilators, oxygen beds, general beds, and ICU beds across 13 districts.

Officials stated that, as of Friday, 36,778 beds were available in the 138 Covid-19 hospitals in the state.

A former minister dies of Covid-19

Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths on July 31

Pydikondala Manikayala Rao, a BJP leader, and former endowments minister in the previous Chandrababu Naidu government succumbed to Covid-19. Rao (59) was taking treatment in a Vijayawada hospital where he breathed last on Saturday.

In a tweet on 4 July, Rao revealed that he had tested positive and in a short video, appealed to the public to take precautions like a mask, hand-wash while not hesitating to get tested if they have any symptoms.

Rao hailing from Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district is survived by his wife and daughter.