On Monday, June 15, Gujarat recorded 28 Covid-19 deaths, taking the death toll to 1,505. Of these, 23 were reported from Ahmedabad alone, while four deaths were reported from Surat, and one from Aravalli.
The total number of confirmed cases in the state stands at over 23,000, of which 16,664 have been cured as per the official state government figures. However, 5,886 active cases still remain, of which 3,935 are in Ahmedabad alone.
Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that Dr Prakash Vaghela, who was the Additional Director, Health, and was at the forefront of Covid management in the state, has resigned citing personal reasons. Dr Vaghela had undergone heart surgery and was planning to go to Canada for further treatment when the lockdown began. Epidemiologist Dr Daksha Patel is also reported to have resigned on personal grounds.
The state’s management of the pandemic, especially the state of healthcare facilities, has been receiving scathing criticism for quite some time, with the Gujarat High Court at one point comparing the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital to a dungeon. The state is also facing a shortage of doctors, blood, ventilators and PPEs.
Related:
Shortages of doctors, blood as healthcare crisis grows in Gujarat