GUWAHATI, July 10 - Eight more COVID-19 patients, including an �asymptomatic� police personnel, died in the State on Friday. Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said four patients � Rakhal Deb (42), Ramesh Kayastha (68), Sukhamay Bhowmik (72) and Arahi Baruah Saikia (70) � who were admitted at GMCH ICU, succumbed to the infection.
Three other patients of Guwahati � Ashok Jain (63) of Athgaon, Vinod Kumar (47) of Jalukbari and Dipali Dutta (65) of Sarumataria � admitted at GMCH also succumbed to their infection today, Sarma said, adding that they had severe pnuemonia and were on invasive ventilation.
A Havildar of 16 IRBn, 53-year-old Hareswar Nath died at the IITG covid Care Centre. He had tested positive on July 7. The Health Minister said Nath was asymptomatic and had no comorbidities. �His oxygen levels plummeted within hours and he collapsed,� the Minister said.
As many as 936 COVID-19 positive cases were detected in the State on Friday, of which 521 were in Guwahati alone.
Sources said COVID-19 infections were also reported among doctors, nurses and other staff of several city private hospitals, most of which have begun admitting the coronavirus patients. �Many of the cases were due to inapt handling of the covid patients. Not all hospitals have the infrastructure to treat covid patients and the infection was bound to spread,� the sources said. Many private hospitals have set up separate covid wards and have begun admitting positive patients.
Meanwhile, two new COVID Care Centres are going to be functional soon in Sonapur � one at Assam Don Bosco University and the other at Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education. Their combined bed capacity will be 500.
�We have arranged around 3,800 beds in covid Care Centres in the city so far and beds in hospitals are also being increased. We are now looking to increase the number of ICU beds as we feel we will need more such facilities,� Sarma said.