Here's how a Mangaluru's private hospital is causing havoc in Bhatkal;12 tests positive for COVID-19
Over 150 more samples collected, sent for testing
Bhatkal: Uttara Kannada District Administration on Friday morning received a blow when twelve people from Bhatkal tested positive for Corona Virus. Immediately swinging into action, the administration sealed down parts of the town where the first case of reportedly the second wave of COVID-19 in the town were found.
On May 5, an 18 year old girl tested positive for the deadly virus and all the twelve people who tested positive for the virus on Friday are said to be the primary and direct contact of the patient.
How it all started?
The 18-year old girl had reportedly visited one of the private hospitals in Mangaluru, First Neuro Hospital where a staffer had tested positive for the virus. The girl along with her sister and brother-in-law and visited the hospital in April.
Nearly a week after returning from the hospital the girl showed symptoms of the virus and her throat swabs were subsequently sent for testing. On May 5, the reports of her samples returned as positive, forcing the Taluk and District administration in war-footing her primary and secondary contacts.
The administration without much delay tracked 47 people who were in direct contact with the girl and sent their swab for testing, of which 12 returned as positive on Friday morning, which resulted in creating a environment of panic and distress in the town. All the 12 patients have been shifted to Karwar Medical College Hospital.
On the second day, the administration continued tracking the secondary contacts of the patient including Auto-driver in which she had travelled. The swab samples of all the family members of auto-driver were sent for testing.
The administration however refused to confirm the number of samples collected adding that as per protocol the people were being tracked and their samples have been sent for testing, but highly placed sources of Vartha Bharati, working closely on the development informed that over 150 swab samples have been collected by the administration, results of which are awaited.
Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner confirmed that the area of residence of the patient was sealed down completely and a five kilometer containment zone and buffer zone was flagged to cap the spread of the deadly virus.
The DC also confirmed that the patient had transmitted the virus at the First Neuro Hospital in Mangaluru and has urged people to inform the administration if they had visited the hospital in recent past.
People who arrived from Bengaluru on busses to Bhatkal were also stopped in Murdeshwar earlier this week and have been sent to quarantine centres in Murdeshwar. They’ve not been allowed to enter Bhatkal.
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Hospital wall collapse: CM orders suspension of executive engineer; kin of victims get solatium
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the immediate suspension of an executive engineer for the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital wall collapse that claimed the lives of seven people, during a high-level review meeting at Vidhana Soudha.
A compensation of Rs 5 lakh, as announced by the CM Siddaramaiah, was distributed to the families of seven victims who lost their lives in the tragedy on Wednesday evening, which occurred due to heavy downpour with gusty winds and hailstorm.
The meeting of municipal commissioners of the five corporations, chaired by the chief minister and attended by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, focused on fixing accountability and examining lapses that led to the tragedy.
"Why was soil dumped in a way that damaged the wall? Why did you not monitor this?" Siddaramaiah asked, pulling up hospital authorities during the meeting.
A statement from the chief minister's office said that the CM ordered the immediate suspension of the executive engineer of the Karnataka Health Systems Development Project (KHSDP).
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He also questioned the hospital authorities, asking why they failed to monitor the dumping of soil that weakened the structure.
The chief minister directed that a notice be issued to the head of the Hospital.
During the meeting, Siddaramaiah said the rains had caused extensive damage in the city, with over 250 trees uprooted.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to take necessary measures before the onset of the monsoon to avoid untoward incidents.
Commissioners of all five municipal zones in Bengaluru have been asked to take precautionary steps, including trimming dry and dangerous tree branches, the CMO said.
Siddaramaiah also directed them to get the silt cleared from stormwater drains to prevent flooding, and that immediate action be taken to remove debris and fallen branches from roads.
Further, he instructed that barricades be placed at underpasses where water stagnates and restricts public movement.
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao said in a statement that Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad distributed compensation cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Thursday.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed amid heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
Police said the victims, comprising three from Bengaluru, two from Kerala on a study tour and one each from Uttar Pradesh and Assam, had taken shelter near the wall when it suddenly gave way, trapping them under the debris.
The chief minister questioned officials over the dumping of soil near the wall despite knowing it could weaken the structure, and directed that a notice be issued to the head of Bowring Hospital.
Siddaramaiah, who had visited the spot soon after the incident along with senior officials, reviewed the situation and ordered a detailed probe into the collapse.
