Mysuru, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar in urgent need of medical professionals to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, especially after all three districts reported spike in cases
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, doctors’ scarcity is looming large in Mysuru, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar districts. The vacant positions need to be filled up soon, especially when the cases are surging alarmingly.

Sourcing well-trained doctors has become a challenge in the districts with the health emergency putting more pressure on the infrastructure and the already-stressed staff.

In all three districts, the shortage of nursing and paramedical staff is over 50 per cent. With the backing of temporary/contract staff, hospitals and PHCs are battling the pandemic.

In all three districts government medical colleges and their teaching hospitals are reshuffling doctors and other staff to deal with the situation.

In Kodagu, 120 doctors’ posts are vacant in both the hospitals run by the Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Medical Education Department. The Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), which is running the designated COVID-19 hospital in Madikeri, and the CHCs and PHCs of the Health Department are struggling to get doctors on contract basis.

Seven doctors’ posts for the COVID-19 hospital need to be filled up immediately. Likewise, posts of 40 junior resident doctors, 23 senior resident doctors, 16 assistant professors, and 4 associate professors are vacant. Nine posts of anaesthetist are vacant in the Health Department besides the posts of gynaecologist and paediatrician.

The response to the announcement about vacancies has so far been tepid. This perhaps led Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy to urge the doctors of Kodagu origin to return to their homeland and help in managing the crisis.

Kodagu and Chamarajnagar districts have limited healthcare resources. Many large private and corporate hospitals are operated in Mysuru, and these two districts look up to them during emergencies.

In Mysuru, the newly-built district hospital (under Health Department) was converted into the designated COVID-19 hospital. The district hospital was inaugurated without doctors and staff. Sources in the department had said the hospital needed about 400 staff members, including 60 doctors, 207 paramedical staff, 100 staff nurses, and 28 administrative staff.

Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMCRI), which runs the KRH and Cheluvamba hospitals, has diverted doctors and staff from its teaching hospitals to balance the situation until the posts are filled.

“I have to arrange doctors for the COVID-19 hospital, the KRH and the Cheluvamba. The pandemic has doubled the load on our doctors. I am looking for anaesthetists and physicians but I am not getting them. Somehow the situation is being managed with the available doctors,” said MMCRI Dean and Director C.P. Nanjaraj.

Chamarajanagar district, which was in green zone earlier and later reported a spike, is also not getting doctors to deal with the situation. The health authorities have been told to recruit the staff for six months on contract basis but the response is lukewarm. The district is in need of 20-25 doctors immediately. It is facing a 50 per cent shortage of paramedical staff. A senior health official said, “We are ready to recruit doctors beyond the sanctioned limit for the district hospital to handle COVID-19 cases.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – July 23rd, 2020

Madikeri:

Taking yet another step to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) by conducting COVID testing on all symptomatic people, it has been decided to establish COVID testing laboratories at all taluk centres in the district.

The decision in this regard was taken at the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) general meeting at the ZP auditorium in Madikeri which was chaired by ZP President B.A. Harish.

Speaking at the meeting, ZP Member Madappa said that COVID-19 positive cases were increasing in the district and there is a need to prevent the spread of the virus.

District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr. K. Mohan, who also spoke said that COVID testing is being conducted at all hospitals in the district and samples are being sent to the District Medical Sciences Laboratory to get the reports. Stating that doctors are employed on contract basis to all Primary and Community Health Centres in the district, Dr. Mohan said and added that AYUSH doctors have already been deployed.

Meanwhile, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences Director Cariappa said that Rs. 1.5 crore was needed to commence COVID testing labs and added that the Government has established COVID labs in all districts and the staff at the labs was working in three shifts.

Mookonda P. Subramani, Mookonda Viju Subramani, Kiran Cariappa, Srinivas, Appachanda Mahesh Ganapathy, C.P. Puttaraju, Kavitha Prabhakar and others also spoke.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Coronavirus Update / July 31st, 2020

4,539 tests per million population done in last 10 days which is higher than Bengaluru Urban, which did 4,091 tests

Kodagu has topped the State in the tests against COVID-19 per million population in the last 10 days.

The district did 4,539 tests per million population which is higher than Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru which have reported a big surge in cases over the last few days.

Kodagu was free from the virus for a long time after the first case was reported on March 19.

The district administration’s efforts for keeping Kodagu safe from COVID-19 for a continuous 28 days were hailed by the Union Health Ministry.

However, cases rose since June-end. Till June 21, the district had only three cases but the cases now stand at 60. The authorities have stepped up testing to combat the infection and stop its spread to the community.

Kalaburagi stands at second spot with 4,478 tests per million and Bengaluru Urban did 4,091 tests per million in the last 10 days, according to statistics provided by the State COVID-19 War Room.

Mysuru, which had once topped the State, is now testing 1,605 per million and Chamarajanagar, 1,289 per million. Till recently, Chamarajanagar was the only district in the State which was free from COVID-19 and was described as “evergreen” district for keeping its population secure from the contagion for such a long time. Today, the cases have spiked there too and have crossed the 50-mark, forcing the administration to bring in various measures to contain the infection rate.

Tests per million in other districts are: Yadgir 2,889; Ramanagaram 2,715; Davangere 2,704; Chikkamagaluru 1,837; Dakshina Kannada 1,740;, Ballari 1,228; Mandya 1,141 and Hassan 897.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – July 02nd, 2020

Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy has directed the officials to provide necessary treatment and other facilities to the patients at the Covid Care Centres in Morarji Desai Residential School and Ekalavya Residential School in Arji, Virajpet.

Visiting the Covid Care Centres on Thursday, she directed the officials concerned to repair the rooms at the Ekalavya Residential School and provide clean drinking water to the patients.

Virajpet Tahsildar M M Nandish said five Covid-19 infected were admitted to the Morarji Desai CCC eight days ago and all of them have been discharged after recovery.

“Four other Covid-19 positive persons from South Kodagu were admitted to the Covid Care Centre at the Morarji Desai Residential School on Thursday. At the Morarji Desai Residential School, 80 people can be accommodated and there is space for 40 people at the Ekalavya school. Both the centres are equipped with all necessary facilities, including doctors”, Nandish said.

ITDP Officer Shivakumar, district Health Officer and taluk level officers were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Virajpet(Kodagu) / July 24th, 2020

Corona warriors should build their immunity in order to take care of others’ health, said Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

She was speaking at a programme organised by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat and the district AYUSH Department, at her office in Madikeri on Friday.

Immunity boosting medicines provided by the AYUSH Department was distributed to Corona warriors on the occasion.

MLA Appachu Ranjan, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dr K Mohan and District Ayush officer Dr Ramachandra were present.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / June 19th, 2020

District In-charge Minister V Somanna inaugurated the COVID-19 laboratory at Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences in Madikeri on Friday.

The laboratory has been established at a cost of Rs 1.06 crore. At a time, nasal and throat swab samples of 100 people can be tested in the laboratory. The samples from the district were sent to the laboratory in Mysuru so far.

Senior physician Dr Patkar was present on the occasion.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / DHNS, Madikeri / May 22nd, 2020