The chief secretary of the government (CH & FW) on Thursday gave the order to deploy U. Sreehari, specialist in civil surgeons, joint director (immunization against child health), as the new district doctor for medicine and health of the Chittoor district.
The appointment comes after an alarming number of COVID cases in the district approaching 1.7 lakh, followed by 1,137 deaths. While Chittoor ranks first in the state in terms of the number of victims, it ranks second in positive cases.
As of Thursday, the district recorded 3,185 new cases, the highest in the second wave, and 15 deaths. Officials said the positivity rate was also close to 35%, while daily tests have yet to cross the 10,000 mark.
Collector M. Hari Narayanan was forced to stop paying salaries to employees in five key departments involved in the 6th phase of the fever survey in the mandals of Srikalahasti, Satyavedu, Tamballapalle, Madanapalle and Tamballapalle on Wednesday.
After the death of 11 patients due to an interruption in the oxygen supply at the SVRR hospital in Tirupati on May 10, fear seized people and officials in the COVID service. Aside from the increase in the number of patients going to COVID hospitals vying for oxygen beds, the COVID care centers in the district are also filling up with patients.
Although the COVID hospitals in Madanapalle, Kuppam and Palamaner work for the western mandals, the patients admitted there have to be transferred to the state COVID hospital and its subsidiaries in Tirupati in an emergency.