HYDERABAD: Is Telangana ready if COVID-19 breaks out as an epidemic? Many experts believe that the infrastructure in Telangana is inadequate and that it is our sheer luck so far the virus has not yet looked our way.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is at the cusp of declaring the infection as pandemic since COVID-19 is no longer confined to China. Though authorities are making attempts to prevent the infection from finding its way into Telangana, they appear to be very feeble.
Dr Prathap Reddy, president of Indian Medical Association, feels that the State doesn’t have enough quarantine centres if an outbreak occurs, which can prove to be very deadly in a country as populous as India is.
“The central government’s step to validate alternative medicines in the face of such a health crisis was irresponsible as Indian alternative medication is not evidence-based. If an outbreak occurs, the unstable political situation of the country can possibly play an adverse role,” he said.
At Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), authorities have begun screening of passengers with travel history from Iran and Italy. The number of people being screened at RGIA has also increased in the last week.
Dr Anuradha Medoju, chief of Airport Health Organisation, said: “We are conducting universal screening at the airport. However, with the reports of increase in COVID cases in Iran and Italy, we have started screening of passengers travelling from these countries as well.”
Dr Rajeshwar Rao, professor at Gandhi Hospital’s Department of Microbiology, cautioned: “While the incubation period of this virus is 14 days, it takes only hours for a healthy person to contract the virus from an infected person.” The microbiology lab at Gandhi Hospital is also testing the COVID-19 samples.
“The infrastructure is enough in case of an outbreak in the State, as we are working in three shifts. In a single day we can test close to 30 samples,” Dr Rao added.
Experts feel that the situation is a precarious one and the Central government’s recent decision to allow alternative medicine such as Ayurveda and Unani may backfire as they may not be effective.
People might prefer them because of the government’s approval because they are less expensive, they feel.
The city’s Unani and Homeopathic clinics are already capitalising on the Centre’s green signal as large banners with COVID-19 pill advertisements have popped up here.