The COVID-19 numbers in tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh state are surging. The small state, with around 3.22 crore population, has a total of 41, 806 positive cases, while the death toll has reached 351. A quick analysis of data by the state health department shows that of the total cases, as many as 13,416 cases and 89 deaths have been reported in the past week. On August 29, the state had 28,390 cases and 262 deaths.
The worst hit is capital Raipur where the COVID-19 tally reached 15,021 on Saturday. Of this almost 5,000 (4,943) cases have been reported in the past week. The death toll of the capital city is at 184, of which 45 were reported in the past week.
The state reported 1172 cases and 14 deaths on Saturday, but on Friday as many as 2,599 cases were reported along with 22 deaths.
Given the scary scenario, the governor Anusuiya Uike has self-quarantined at her home town in Chhindwara of Madhya Pradesh till September 15. Before this, the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, home minister Tamradhwaj Sahu and agriculture and legislative affairs minister Ravindra Choubey had also self-isolated themselves after people around them tested positive.
Till now, about five MLAs in the state have also tested COVID-19 positive. Also some IAS and IPS officers have tested positive. On Saturday, the Raigarh superintendent of police (SP) tested positive too.
Central team to take stock in districts too
On Saturday a three-member central team arrived in Raipur to take stock of the situation even as COVID-19 cases have shown sudden and major spurt during the past few days.
The team reached the Government Ambedkar Hospital in Raipur on Saturday and inspected the nodal COVID-19 centre. They sought information on treatment protocol, preventive, monitoring and control measures. The team includes Dr Geeta Yadav, professor of social and preventive medicine, Safdarjang Hospital, Dr Anubhav Shrivastava, deputy director of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Dr Abhinav Sinha, scientist with National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), New Delhi.
Sources said that the team appreciated the tele-consultation hub for COVID-19 set up at the Ambedkar Hospital. Doctors in COVID-19 centres in remote areas of state are assisted or guided through video calling through this centre. The team reportedly suggested use of the hub for management of other serious ailments in rural and remote areas too. The team is expected to visit select districts in the state too during their visit.
Meanwhile, the state government fixed the rates of treatment of COVID-19 by private hospitals on Saturday after getting complaints of fleecing of the patients during past few days. Also, the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is expected to review the COVID-19 situation with officials from across the state through video conferencing on Sunday.
