Rising COVID Death toll Shakes Assam Health Department

STAFF REPORTER GUWAHATI:

COVID Death Cases in Assam: The death of 85 people due to COVID-19 in the assam in a single day on Tuesday thoroughly shook the State Health Department.

The people of the assam state, young and old, are worried sick about the steep surge in the COVID-19 death cases and the cry for vaccines. Even though the Health Department claims to have adequate stock of vaccines, the people are not getting them at ease.

The 18+ people in the State are worried as even after online registration, a section of them hasn't got vaccine slots.

Over the last seven days, the average death toll due to COVID in the State was 50. The sudden steep upsurge of the death toll to 77 in a single day is no less an ominous signal.

State COVID-19 Death Audit Board Chairman Dr Anoop Barman said, "As many as 77 people dying of COVID-19 in a single day is a cause of serious concern for us. Every day the death toll is going up. The reasons are not far to seek – late arrival of the patients in hospitals and patients and family members in home isolation taking guidelines casually.

"Most of the people don't test in time whenever they feel unwell or have a fever. A section of them goes for their medication. They rush to the hospitals only when they are serious. The time they spend in own medication, more often than not, spells disaster for most of the patients.

"Our repeated appeal to the public is that they should go for COVID test as and when they feel uneasy or have a fever. Even educated people are seen to take our appeal casually.

"We advise every patient in home isolation to keep in touch with a physician. However, most of them don't. Many of them even don't monitor their oxygen level, regularly. This is not done."

As many as 148 people died of COVID-19 in the past ten days in Guwahati. Around 1,500 positive cases are detected every day in the city where the COVID protocol, as often as not, goes for a toss.

The most dangerous trend is that the virus is fast spreading in villages now. The reason is crystal clear – COVID-19 positive urban people mingling with rural folks in various functions like marriage etc.

According to official sources, 24.30 lakh received the first vaccine doses and 6.85 lakh got the second doses. Earlier private hospitals and nursing homes were also vaccinating people. However, since April 30, 2021, they have not been getting any vaccine supply from the government.

"There has been no supply of the vaccines from the Government since April 30, 2021. The Government is also not issuing any directive spelling out if we can procure the vaccines directly from the manufacturers. Those who received the first dose of the vaccines from us do approach for the second dose. However, we can't help them. Now they've to stand in long queues in government vaccinations centres," the authority of a private hospital said.

How long an aged person can stand in serpentine queues for the vaccination doses is an open question. The Department has not taken any special measures for the aged people as yet. In taking vaccines in government vaccination centres, the COVID-19 protocol is often violated.

Also Read: 85 die of COVID in Assam on Tuesday, 6,258 new positive cases

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