Already Struggling With Rising COVID-19 Cases, Rajasthan Now Has 90 Frontline Workers Infected

Rajasthan is one of the worst COVID-19 hit states in India and according to the data from the state, there are a total of 1,935 cases. Out of this 1,564 are active cases, which make it the third-highest in the country in terms of active patients and fourth in the total number of cases.

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Rajasthan is also one of the few states where the number of new infections is on the rise. The fresh cases include 20 from Jodhpur, 12 from Jaipur, 10 from Nagaur, two each from Kota and Hanumangarh and one from Ajmer. The state has reported 27 deaths due to COVID-19 so far.

As per the data of Union Health Ministry, Jaipur has the highest number of COVID-19 cases at 537 confirmed infections, followed by Jodhpur with 228 cases, Bharatpur (102), Kota (99) and Tonk with 95 cases.

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But there is another development in Rajasthan that is causing some concerns. The spike in the number of COVID-19 frontline workers who are getting infected. At a time when they are the most needed, an increasing number of doctors, nurses and other medical staff in the state are getting infected by the deadly virus.

According to reports as many as 90 frontline workers including doctors, nurses, ward boys, policemen, and drivers have tested positive for COVID-19. In Jaipur alone 23 people including doctors, police personnel who have tested coronavirus positive. In the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, four doctors tested positive on Tuesday. Other doctors and the family members for the medics who tested positive have been put under quarantine.

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According to reports, the doctors got infected from a patient who was operated at the hospital for an intestinal problem, who later tested positive for COVID-19. In Jodhpur, 11 frontline workers including three doctors, two nursing staff, and police constable have tested positive. In Kota more than 40 police personnel, home guards are believed to be infected by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government on Tuesday said that the stat has stopped using the China-made rapid testing kits for coronavirus after they delivered inaccurate results. The state's health minister Raghu Sharma said the kits gave only 5.4 per cent accurate results against the expectation of 90 per cent accuracy and therefore the kits were of no benefit, adding that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been informed about the issue.

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He said 168 tests were conducted through rapid testing kits that were also used for testing of patients who have already tested positive for coronavirus in PCR based tests and the result was negative in their case too, which, the minister said, raised questions about the credibility of these kits.