10 COVID-19 afflicted women give birth in Guwahati hospital

A day after the gloom of the highest single day spike of 1218 coronavirus cases in Assam, ten expecting mothers afflicted with the pandemic delivered their babies at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital(GMCH) on Saturday.

The ten COVID-19 affected women gave birth to six infant boys and four girls through caesearan section at the state-run hospital, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

"Ten #COVID19+ braveheart mothers have given birth to four baby girls and six boys. Congratulations to the families," he said.

The newborns and their mothers are being monitored closely, a senior GMCH doctor said.

"At times, we get the opportunity to smile amid adversity. We've such an occasion, second day in a row", the minister said.

Sarma was referring to the release of a 80-year old COVID-19 positive woman from GMCH on Friday after she tested negative.

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A 93-year-old coronavirus positive woman was released from the hospital on Thursday after she tested negative.

"This was a delicate case which the doctors handled with precision. It is an incredible story of the competence of our doctors," the minister said.

Assam recorded the highest single day spike of 1218 coronavirus cases on Friday which had pushed up the number of those afflicted by the disease to 21,864. The pandemaic has claimed 51 lives so far in the state.

The doubling rate of the positive cases is now 12 days, a health department official said adding 14325 cases were reported in the state last month since June 15.

The recovery rate of patients is 65 per cent and 14,105 patients were cured and discharged from various hospitals in the state, the official said.

The health department has so far tested 6,14,743 samples, he said.

"Testing, tracking and treating remain fundamental to our strategy of managing the pandemic. Your (people's) cooperation by coming forward to give your swabs is vital", Sarma said. 

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