Health Centres Across South Andaman Badly Affected Due to COVID-19
Port Blair, Aug. 10: As many as 42 doctors under the Directorate of Health Services have been tested positive to Corona Virus. According to a data presented to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, 0.27 percentage of population of Andaman & Nicobar Islands have been affected due to COVID-19, which is increasing at the rate of 0.02 per cent on an average per day. The number of deaths due to the virus has also been increasing at a rapid pace, with no proper solution to contain the pandemic in the islands.
A week ago, Dr. Omkar Singh, the Director of Health Services was tested positive to the virus and within a week the acting Director, Dr. Munni Singhania tested positive apart from many other doctors who had been entrusted duties apart from their regular works.
As an interim arrangement, the Andaman & Nicobar Administration today announced the list of Doctors who have been assigned to take over the vacant post that has arisen due to the Doctors testing positive. Accordingly, Dr. A.K. Dubey has been given the charge of Director of Health Services while Dr. Suja Antony has been given the charge of CMO, Store and to assist Dr. Amitabha De, OSD (Manpower and Material Management). Meahwile Dr. D. Bairagi and Dr. Ajay Verma, HOD, Dentistry, ANIIMS will be assisting Dr. M.K. Saha interim Medical Superintendent (I/c), GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair.
Meanwhile reports also indicate that as many as 13 staff of Primary Health Centre, Wimberlygunj have tested positive for corona virus, which includes the cook of the health centre. Sources inform that the test for the staff was done on 5th August and the report was received today. In this gap of five days, the positive cases have been serving the patients. We cannot rule out the possibility that the affected have spread the virus among many others, mostly those with co-morbidity.
Many other health centres in South Andaman are seeing a similar fate which have either shut down or are on the verge of closing. If this situation continues, the time is not far when the health sector in Andamans, which is the most important sector especially during times of crisis will be witnessing a major collapse.