COVID-19 Situation Improving in Assam, Unrelenting Toll Cause of Concern for Dispur

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Despite the fall in COVID-19 positivity rate in the State, the State government is worried over the unrelenting death toll.

And this has prompted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to review the cause of deaths and preventive measures to be taken with the senior doctors of the GMCH (Gauhati Medical College and Hospital) on Sunday.

Statistics relating to the COVID-19 say it all. The COVID cumulative death toll in the State till April 9, 2021, was 1,115. The figure rose to 3,245 till May 29, i.e. in the past 50 days as many as 2,130 people died of the COVID-19 in the State.

The doctors blame it largely on the late coming of patients to the hospitals and not conducting the COVID-19 tests on time. GMCH Principal Dr Achyut Baishya, on the other hand, sees the positive side of the situation. He said, "The death toll will come down. This is bound to happen as the positivity rate is falling, so is the number of serious patients.

Covid Death Statistics

"The covid death rate was 0.51 per cent on April 9 and it reached 0.80 per cent on May 29. The positivity rate that was 1.12 per cent on April 9 rose to 9.13 per cent on May 11, and now it fell to 4.82 per cent on May 29. This is indeed a positive development."

On the outcry of vaccines for two categories of people – below 45 years and above 45 years – Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The stock of vaccines for the first category (18+) is almost nil. They have to wait for some time. We placed the order for vaccines at two companies. They assured us of providing seven lakh vaccines in June but stopped short of giving us the exact date.

"There are covid vaccines for the people belonging to the 45+ category, but not adequate. We hope in June we'll get 30 per cent more vaccines and 50 per cent more in July. Vaccines will be available in August.

"On an experimental basis, we've applied for new medicines with success. We applied DRDO's (Defence Research and Development Organisation) 2-DG anti-COVID drugs to 13 GMCH patients. The purpose of the application of the new drugs is to reduce the stay of patients in hospitals. And that worked."

Till May 29, 2021, as many as 40.72 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the State. According to Health Department sources, COVID-19 tests have been conducted on around one-third of the total population of the State. Daily over one lakh, COVID-19 tests are being conducted in the State for the past few days.

Also Read: COVID-19 Death Toll Falls to 55 in Assam, 3,245 New Cases Detected