No discrimination in any Constituency, says Minister

Mysore/Mysuru: There is an urgent need to allot more oxygenated beds to Narasimharaja (NR) Constituency by the District Administration in the wake of increasing COVID infections like in Bengaluru, said MLA Tanveer Sait. He was speaking at the COVID control progress review meeting of his Constituency held at Zilla Panchayat Hall in city yesterday. 

The meeting was chaired by District Minister S.T. Somashekar and the MLA apprised the Minister and the district authorities that as infection rate is heading north, more facilities are needed in NR Constituency before the situation gets out of hand like in Bengaluru. 

There are a total of seven hospitals in NR segment and at the Beedi Workers Hospital that has a capacity of 300 beds, 150 beds can be reserved as oxygenated beds. As Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) is funding medical equipment, the District Administration can appoint doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and Group D staff, Sait opined. 

The MLA told the Minister that many patients who come from other districts are being admitted in Mysuru and this has caused a shortage of beds for the people of Mysuru. He alleged that there is no visibility into the measures taken by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and the District Administration to control the pandemic. “Persons who are testing positive every day are seen roaming on the roads. What is the MCC doing? Many patients are dying as no medical care is available and the poor are being forced to admit into private hospitals,” Sait said. 

Intervening in the discussion, Mayor Rukmini Madegowda said that many officers who are doing critical coordination work are not available over phone and there is no visibility of the available beds both in Government and Private Hospitals. 

Tanveer Sait said that every day 800 to 900 COVID-positive cases are emerging from Narasimharaja and the administration cannot sit quiet without providing the necessary infrastructure. He was joined by ex- Mayor Ayub Khan. 

Several Corporators said that in the absence of medical care, people are dying in auto rickshaws. “My sister-in-law died in an auto and being a Corporator, I could not get her a bed,” said Corporator Samiulla. Former Mayor Arif Hussain said that the health infrastructure of Mysuru has collapsed and the loopholes are leading to many deaths. 

MCC Commissioner Shilpa Nag said that Task Force has been formed and the monitoring and allocation of beds are being done by the War Room and all Corporators have been made Ward in-charge to fight the contagion. This apart, vaccination team, home isolation team, counselling team and tele-consultation teams have been formed and responsibilities have been fixed, she added. 

Minister Somashekar said that all Constituencies in Mysuru are being treated uniformly and there is no discrimination of any sort. “Be it hospital beds, vaccination, hospital equipment and other facilities, we have not done any discrimination,” he said and admitted that there is a shortage of beds as people from other districts are being admitted in Mysuru. Steps have been taken to increase infrastructure, equipment and facilities, he added. 

The Minister said that black-marketing of Remdesivir drug has been prevented and the supplies are given directly to the hospitals to curb pilferage. 

Dy. Mayor Anwar Baig, ex-Mayor Sandesh Swamy, DC Rohini Sindhuri, City Police Commissioner Dr. Chandragupta, Corporators Ashwini Sharath, Mohammad Shafi and others were present.