From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 29: Ordering death audit in Mysuru district to ascertain an actual number of cases and mortality due to Covid-19 pandemic, health and family welfare minister Dr K Sudhakar said the state government will ask the union health minister Dr Harsha Vardhan to ensure higher supplies of vaccines to Karnataka.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Dr Sudhakar said he was planning to visit Delhi on Monday or Tuesday and will meet the union health minister and Union government officials to enhance the allotment of vaccines to the state.

"No statement has been made that vaccines are not available in the state. As many as 2 to 3 lac doses of vaccines are administered daily. The state has a stock of about 5 lac doses of vaccines. We are distributing vaccines as and when we receive from Delhi,’’ he clarified.

Dr Sudhakar said the positivity rate in the Mysuru district is coming down but the mortality rate is 3.85%. Therefore, it has been decided to conduct a death audit to ascertain the actual facts, he said pointing out that Periyapatna, Hanagodu and Bassur in the district have still remained as hotspots. These two places will be treated as containment zones, he said.

The health minister said Mysuru accounted for 3 out of the 20 hotspots identified in the state’s rural areas. "We need to check the spread of the pandemic and strictly follow the safety protocols,’’ he said promising to ensure that necessary medical staff and doctors will be provided to the district and steps for appointing 174 doctors on a contract basis have also been taken.

He said a genome sequence lab will be established in Mysuru. The black fungus cases are coming down and the menace is under control, he added.