AIIMS director visits Gujarat on CM request

People do not need to be afraid of it (Covid), but precautions are a must. One should consult a doctor as soon as they notice any symptom

DR RANDEEP GULERIA,

AIIMS director

SURAT: On Saturday, 394 more Covid-19 positive cases and 23 deaths were reported from Gujarat taking the toll of infected people to 7797 and deaths to 472.

A central team led by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Randeep Guleria visited the state on Saturday, following a request made by Gujarat’s chief minister Vijay Rupani to the Centre.

The AIIMS director interacted with government and private doctors in the state and also spoke to health care workers at the frontline of the fight against the disease, the Gujarat government said in a statement.

“People do not need to be afraid of it (Covid), but precautions are a must. One should consult a doctor as soon as they notice any symptom of Covid-19. Elders and patients with co-morbid conditions could be in trouble if there is delay in reporting the symptoms,” Guleria said.

He said that it is difficult to win this battle without public awareness and co-operation, adding that social distancing and protective measures are essential.

The statement said that additional chief secretary, Pankaj Kumar and other officers on

Covid -19 duty across the state had discussions with Dr Guleria.

Of the 394 cases on Saturday, the most are from Ahmedabad, 280, followed by Surat, 30, and Vadodra, 27. Out of 23 deaths, 20 were reported from Ahmedabad and one each from Banaskantha, Jamnagar and Panchamahal.

Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health) said the least number of deaths in the past week was reported on Saturday. “The recovery rate in past 15 days has improved by 450%. So far, 2019 people have been discharged.”

Flights from Singapore, Philippines, USA, UK and Kuwait , carrying a total of 1099 people, will land at Ahmedabad airport from May 10. “All the passengers will undergo thermal screening and necessary medical checkup followed by institutional quarantine,” said Kumar.