AP government sanctions Rs 10 crore worth diagnostic centre to Vizag

In a bid to boost the healthcare system in Vizag, the Andhra Pradesh state government gave its nod to set up a new diagnostic centre in the city. On Monday, Andhra Pradesh Special Chief Secretary, Health, Medical, and Family Welfare, KS Jawahar Reddy, released a Government Order sanctioning two diagnostic centres in Vizag and Tirupati respectively.

Reportedly, these centres will be developed with state-of-the-art amenities under the National Health Mission. The Government Order stated that each of these diagnostic centres has been allotted a fund of Rs 10 crore. The state government is reportedly planning to make them functional at the earliest. Vizag district medical authorities are awaiting further directives in setting up the diagnostic centre. 

Meanwhile, amid the current crisis, State Bank of India (SBI) Vizag administration has come forward and donated Rs 7 lakh worth ventilators to King George Hospital, as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. On Monday, SBI Vizag DGM K Rangarajan handed over four ventilators to Andhra Medical College (AMC) Principal, Dr PV Sudhakar. 

Speaking on the occasion, SBI Vizag DGM informed that this initiative will help a few more patients in receiving better treatment. He further said that through the SBI Vizag foundation, essential commodities, worth around Rs 5 lakh, have been supplied to the poor and needy during the global pandemic. 

The coronavirus tally in Vizag district surpassed 3000-mark on 20 July. According to COVID-19 Special Officer for Visakhapatnam, Dr PV Sudhakar, as many as 209 individuals tested positive for the virus from Sunday to Monday. 1125 patients were undergoing treatment in the district and 1965 individuals were discharged after recovering from the infection. The death toll in Visakhapatnam district increased to 53 as two more patients succumbed to coronavirus. Andhra Pradesh too witnessed a spike in cases, as the COVID-19 cases count crossed 50,000-mark in the state. As many as 4074 samples out the 33,580 samples tested positive for the virus in single day, taking the tally to 53,724.