Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Jul 7: Deputy chief minister (DCM) of Karnataka, Dr Ashwath Narayan, has assured the people that there are several medicines to cure people infected with COVID-19. He reassured the people of the state that there is no need to panic.

"About 90 percent of the infected people do not suffer from the ill-effects of the disease. Out of one hundred infected people, on an average, only five to six people may need hospitalisation. As such, there is no necessity to worry. The government has kept ready all necessary infrastructure to handle the issue. The government does not face dearth of funds. It is true that for a couple of days, there was shortage of beds at Bengaluru. This problem arose as the number of infected persons rose sharply all of a sudden. There is no problem now. We have arranged for 15,000 beds and sufficient number of ambulances," he explained.

DCM Dr Ashwath Narayan

The DCM further elaborated that in the early stages of the pandemic, lockdown had become necessary. "We have already locked down the state for many days. We can manage for some more days by resorting to lockdown. But the people are now recovering from the problems they encountered during the lockdown. Therefore, we feel there is no need to push them into problems again. Let us learn to manage with the presence of corona," he stated.

Ashwath Narayan pointed out that lockdown creates a lot of problems for the people who eke out a living through physical work. He stated that the government has been taking measures to control spread of coronavirus, duly adding that lockdown is neither a solution for the problem nor a necessity.

Commenting on criticism coming from the opposition leaders, he said that the next election is far away, and the opposition leaders have enough time at their disposal to raise questions about alleged irregularities. "The government's money is people's money. No one can escape after messing with this money. The people have already suffered a lot. Instead of creating doubts and confusion in the minds of the people, let them support the people by standing for them," Ashwath Narayan said in an apparent reaction to former chief minister Siddaramaiah's comments.

He asserted that coronavirus infection has not yet taken the shape of community infection in Karnataka.