Covid-19 curve has started to flatten in Tamil Nadu: Health minister

THANJAVUR: The Covid-19 curve has started to flatten in the state and it is high time the general public shook off the stigma of the disease and approached government hospitals if they had symptoms, health minister C Vijaya Baskar has said. He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating various facilities at the Government Raja Mirasdar Hospital in Thanjavur on Saturday.

“Early de-ionization was the strategy that brought down the death rate in Tamil Nadu ,” he said. So far, a total of 30.8 lakh people have been tested in the state, the highest in the country. About 70% of patients have so far been discharged after treatment, the minister said. He said that treating infected pregnant women was a challenging task.

“Around 3,700 Covid-19 pregnant women have been treated across the state and 184 in Thanjavur district. This was possible because of our committed doctors and dedicated staff nurses who are battling against the virus from the front. A 16-day infant which tested positive was also successfully treated for Covid-19”, the minister stated.

He said that about 4,000 beds were available in Thanjavur to handle any situation and this could be increased to 10,000. “Government has provided all the required facilities to treat people if they are infected. But, they should come forward to utilize them avoid self-medication. If they approach government hospitals early, the probability of saving lives will also be high”, the minister further stated. Agriculture minister R Doraikannu, Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam and district collector M Govinda Rao were also present.