Several medicos in AP hospitals testing +ve for COVID-19

Visakhapatnam: At least 30% of medical students in Andhra Pradesh have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks. The medicos in government medical colleges are either under isolation or have recovered from the virus and are back on duty.

There are 11 government medical colleges under the director of medical education and at least 50-70 positive cases among medical students were reported in each in the last week. Among the total affected, the majority are final-year and PG students who are both on COVID-19 and non-COVID outpatient duty.

In one week, Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital in Tirupati reported around 100 positive cases among the medical students, while in RIMS, Kadapa, 50 students tested positive. Government General Hospital (GGH) in Vijayawada saw 50 positive cases among its medical staff while in Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam around 30 senior and junior doctors tested positive.

In the last 10 days, around 50 final-year medicos from Srikakulam Government College tested positive for COVID-19. A similar situation prevails in almost all major medical colleges that are reporting positive cases, especially among the final-year and PG students who are on duty.

"Fifty students from one class tested positive in the last week. A similar situation is seen in other classes and even among our doctors," said a medical student from Srikakulam Government College.

As many medicos and doctors in government hospitals are testing positive for the virus, there has been a staff crunch in the wards. In such a situation, the hospitals are forced to take up only emergency cases. According to the medical students, with many people visiting the hospitals, the medicos are being affected in other ways, too.

However, the situation now is different from the first wave of COVID-19 and affected persons do not have to undergo a14-day quarantine. "A majority of us have mild symptoms and are going for home/hospital isolation for a week. We are getting back to work after a week. The majority of us are infected through patients who visit the hospital. Currently, there are two batches of PG students on duty. If the spread is more, the wards will be left with only assistant doctors," said Kiran, a student of Andhra Medical College.