AIIMS medical experts sent to Gujarat after sharp rise in coronavirus COVID-19 cases, fatalities

New Delhi: With Gujarat reporting a large number of coronavirus COVID-19 cases and fatalities, medical experts from AIIMS, including its director Dr Randeep Guleria, have rushed to Ahmedabad to provide expert guidance to doctors there on COVID-19 management.

Following directions from the Centre, Dr Guleria, who is a pulmonologist, and Dr Manish Soneja from the AIIMS Department of Medicine left for Ahmedabad on special Indian Air Force flight on Friday evening.

Official sources said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had instructed AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria to leave for Ahmedabad along with his team by a special IAF and visit Civil Hospital and SVP hospital to give expert advice to doctors there on COVID19 treatment:  

With 390 more people testing positive for COVID-19 and 24 fatalities, the total number of cases in Gujarat climbed to 7,403 and the death toll reached 449 on Friday. 

Of the total coronavirus cases in the state, 5,260 have been reported from Ahmedabad district alone.

"They will visit the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and SVP hospital on Saturday to provide expert guidance and advice to the doctors on treatment for coronavirus-infected patients there," a source said. 

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier made a formal request to Home Minister Amit Shah for sending a team of highly-experienced medical experts to the state.