Ramanathapuram: Two home inmates die of Covid, 13 positive

RAMANATHAPURAM: Two inmates of the Government Mental Health Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre in Erwadi died allegedly due to Covid-19 a few days ago and a cluster of 13 more positive cases was identified at the hospital on Wednesday. 

Four of the inmates were shifted to the Government Ramanathapuram Hospital, one to Government Paramakudi Hospital, seven inmates, who have mild symptoms, were admitted to a Covid Care Centre (CCC) and one person was kept under home isolation. 

Sources requesting anonymity said that the deceased inmates, a man and a woman both aged around 45 years, were suffering from chronic psychosis. “A few days ago, they developed fever and breathlessness but they died before undergoing RT-PCR test. After swab samples were collected from the rest of the inmates, 11 tested positive for Covid-19,” the sources added.

Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) alleged that the inmates of the centre did not receive proper medical attention.  “There is only one doctor for the 50 inmates at the centre. The doctor is already in charge of two Primary Health Centres. Had the centre dedicated a medical practitioner within the campus, the inmates would have received timely medical attention,” the general secretary of TARATDAC, S Namburajan, told TNIE.

The centre was established and funded by the State government and is run by an NGO – MS Chellamuthu Trust, he added. Director (Programmes) of MS Chellamuthu Trust KSP Janardhan Babu agreed that the centre needs a separate medical practitioner for the inmates. “The government approved staff strength for the centre is only five – a warden, a social worker, a nurse, a caretaker and a cook.

Apart from this, we also have a consultant psychiatrist who visits periodically. However, the centre needs a full-time doctor and we have already voiced the demand to the government in the past,” Babu said.
Additional Collector M Pradeep Kumar said that it was not confirmed if the victims died of Covid-19.