Hyderabad : Private hospitals ordered to transfer suspected nCoV cases to govt hospitals

Hyderabad: The state health department issued strict orders to private and corporate hospitals to redirect any suspected case of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) to the three nodal hospitals (Gandhi Hospital, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital) only and not admit the patient in their hospitals.

Three new suspected cases for the novel coronavirus were reported on Tuesday are currently at the Fever Hospital while one more suspected patient is at the Gandhi Hospital. “Of the total 51 suspected cases, 21 were found to be negative for nCoV while reports for four others are awaited. The remaining 26 are asymptomatic and under isolation,” said Vijay Kumar, nodal officer for coronavirus.

The state government on Tuesday issued orders to district collectors to start coronavirus control rooms at the district levels and initiate control measures and efforts to raise awareness about the virus. The state government has issued advisories asking people to refrain from travelling to China and affected countries.

In a video conference held by the central health ministry on Tuesday, it was decided that all suspected cases from Andhra Pradesh will be tested at the ICMR lab at Gandhi Medical College. A senior official from the state health department, said, “The centre has also directed the establishment of rapid response teams in all districts. These teams will act to control the accidental spread of situation any virus, like novel coronavirus or ebola.

“Anyone with symptoms of coronavirus should be immediately sent to Gandhi Hospital or Fever Hospital,” the official added.

In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, the state health department said, “In the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak, the general public is advised to adhere to health advisories issued by the government. People who have arrived from affected countries should remain under strict home isolation for 28 days.”

As the fear of coronavirus spreads, Vaada Foundation, an NGO, has written a letter to the traffic police to stop breathalyzer tests for drunken driving checks.