‘Stigma still attached to Covid-19, many fear getting tested’: AIIMS director
Dr Guleria said a delay in patient’s admission to the hospital increases mortality.
All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) Director, Dr Randeep Guleria on Saturday emphasised the importance of timely detection of Covid-19 to improve the rate of mortality.
Guleria said many people fear to come to the hospital and get tested for Covid-19. “A stigma is still attached to Covid-19,” he said, adding that a delay in patient’s admission to the hospital increases mortality.
He also asked elderly people to take precautions during the coronavirus crisis. Elderly people and those with comorbidities are at a higher risk of getting a severe infection of Covid-19.
Watch | Stigma still attached to Covid-19, people fear getting tested: AIIMS director
“If you have elderly people at home you need to be extra cautious. Get health checkup done immediately after observing mild symptoms,” he said.
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Guleria’s comments came from Ahmedabad, Gujarat. AIIMS experts visited the civil hospital in the city on Saturday and interacted with frontline staff amid the rising incidence of Covid-19 cases and fatalities in the district, news agency PTI reported.
Ahmedabad’s coronavirus mortality rate stands at 6.5%, which is nearly double of the country’s death rate of 3.3%.
Dr Guleria, along with Dr Manish Soneja of AIIMS’ department of medicine, flew in on a special Indian Air Force plane on Friday, after Chief Minister Vijay Rupani urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to arrange for the visit from experts, PTI reported.
Gujarat has reported 7, 402 coronavirus cases of which more than 5,200 come from Ahmedabad district.
(With inputs from PTI)
