HYDERABAD: Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender visited different hospitals attached to private medical colleges in and around Hyderabad, to inspect the facilities available for treating COVID-19 patients. He told all the identified private medical colleges on Wednesday, to start admitting COVID-19 patients and help the government in tackling the crisis.
The government had taken a decision earlier in April, of providing treatment to COVID-19 patients in private medical colleges free of cost. For this, around 22 private medical colleges having 10,000 beds, have been identified across the State.
Health Department officials told Express that in some of these medical colleges in the districts, patients have already been admitted. The admission to these colleges will be based on reference by government healthcare centres. On Wednesday, Eatala inspected facilities at Kamineni Hospital, Owaisi Hospital, Mallareddy Hospital and ESIC Hospital Nacharam.
Telangana crosses 17000-mark with 1,018 COVID-19 cases, 7 deaths
Telangana recorded its highest single-day spike of 1,018 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, when seven patients succumbed to the virus, taking the total toll to 267 in the State. Wednesday’s steep spike took the total number of positive cases in the State to 17,357 cases, of which 9,008 are active cases.
With 4,234 tests done on the day, which is one of the highest in the last fortnight, the positivity rate was at 24.04 per cent. As in the past, the highest number of cases were reported from the Greater Hyderabad limits (881), followed by Medchal and Rangareddy with 36 cases and 33 cases.
Among those who tested positive for the virus were senior doctors, including a senior faculty of ESIC Medical College. The day also saw 788 patients being discharged, taking cumulative discharges to 8,082 patients in the State.
Free of cost testing centres
Meanwhile, Eatala, in a bid to motivate people to undergo tests, tweeted a list of centres where free tests are being conducted.
The list includes King Koti Hopspital, Fever Hospital in Nallakunta, Chest Hospital in Erragadda, Nature Cure Hospital in Ameerpet, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Mehdipatnam, Ayurveda Hospital in Erragadda, Homeopathy Hospital in Ramanthapur, Nizamiya TB Hospital in Charminar, Area Hospital in Kondapur, Area Hospital in Vanasthalipuram and ESI Hospital in Nacharam.