Hyderabad: Public health experts have flagged a manifold increase in mental health cases amid the coronavirus pandemic, with many attributing the rising stress and anxiety levels to isolation, loss of loved ones, economic uncertainty and the fear of contracting the disease.
According to a survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the pandemic disrupted critical mental health services in 93 per cent of the countries worldwide. World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year with the objective of raising awareness about mental health, global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. Meanwhile, India reported 73,272 coronavirus cases and 926 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am on Saturday. With this, the total number of infections rose to 69,79,424 including 1,07,416 deaths, 8,83,185 active cases and 59,88,823 recoveries.
Delhi
COVID-19 patients at the MCD-run Hindu Rao hospital will be shifted to Delhi government hospitals as doctors and other staff of Hindu Rao have given a notice for a strike, Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain said on Saturday. This comes amid protests by resident doctors of the Hindu Rao hospital over non-payment of salaries for the last few months. Resident doctors of the hospital continued their protest on Saturday with posters and slogans demanding payment of salaries.
Chhattisgarh
The COVID-19 isolation ward of Ambikapur Medical College was flooded after heavy rains caused severe waterlogging in the hospital. The drainage system can handle regular water flow and operates very systematically. But the ward simply got flooded for a while due to heavy rain," according to Dr Ajay Tirkey, Ambikapur city Mayor. Staff nurses, including doctors, were seen struggling to drain the water from inside the COVID-19 ward. Ambikapur Medical College was recently recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI).
Karnataka
After an intense debate between the ruling party and opposition parties - Congress and JD(S) -- over the continuation of the Vidyagama scheme, Karnataka Primary and Secondary education minister S. Suresh Kumar on Saturday asserted that the state government had decided to suspend the scheme for the time being. He argued that Vidyagama was a scientifically evolved scheme and it was done after due consultations and as many as 47 lakh children were direct beneficiaries of this scheme.
Kerala
Kerala reported 11,755 Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest ever single-day spike in the state, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. "Things are serious as the daily cases are going up. Experts say that the months of October and November are going to be crucial. The test positivity rate has to be kept below 10 and it was done, but now it has gone up. In our neighbouring states of Karnataka the total tally has crossed 6.66 lakhs, while in Tamil Nadu it is 6.35 lakhs and the total deaths in these states are nearing 10,000,' said Vijayan and said 23 COVID deaths were reported here, taking the total toll to 978. Vijayan said on Saturday 66,228 samples were tested and there are 95,918 active cases.
West Bengal
The COVID-19 tally in West Bengal mounted to 2,91,194 on Saturday after the state reported the highest single-day spike of 3,591 fresh cases, the health department said in a bulletin. The death toll rose to 5,563 after 62 more people succumbed to the disease. The bulletin also said that 3,032 patients were cured of the infection in the last 24 hours and the discharge rate is now 87.86 per cent. The state now has 29,793 active cases. Since Friday, 42,855 samples were tested for COVID-19
in the state.
Rajasthan
Rajasthan recorded 2,123 new COVID-19 cases taking the infection tally to 1,56,908 on Saturday, while 15 more coronavirus fatalities pushed the state's death toll to 1,636, the Health department said. The total number of active cases in the state now stands at 21,354, and so far 1,32,903 COVID-19 patients have been discharged after recovery, according to a bulletin by the Health Department.
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