HYDERABAD: The number of Covid-19 tests ‘per million population per day’ conducted by Telangana in September is lower than the national average, as per the data presented in Lok Sabha on Friday. The State is also found to be having the lowest number of primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in rural and urban areas compared to other southern States.
According to the data, between September 9 and 15, Telangana conducted just 426 tests per million population per day as compared to the national average of 683 tests per million population per day.
This data was shared by Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey in reply to a question by Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Covid testing in Telangana in comparison with the national average. While the LS was also informed that the Centre released `290.29 crore for management and containment of Covid-19 pandemic, the MoS said that the Central government has followed test-track-treat strategy for early detection and containment of the Covid-19 outbreaks.
It further said, “In this regards, State governments and UT administrations have been requested repeatedly through video conferences, formal letters and during State visits to ensure adequate testing and full capacity utilisation of all Covid- 19 testing laboratories.”At the end of August, when the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released data on testing, Telangana was conducting 637 million tests per million population per day.
In September too, the tests were above 55,000 per day for the first 12 days. However, in the last one week the number has dropped to 50,000 t0 55,000 per day. On August 13, the number dropped further to 34,427.
As regards to public healthcare centres, the State fares poorly with other other southern States. While Telangana has 636 rural and 249 urban PHCs, Andhra Pradesh has 1,145 rural and 364 urban PHCs. Karnataka has 2,127 rural and 435 urban PHCs.
The direct implication of this is that fewer the PHCs, the lesser the staff to conduct door-to-door fever surveillance and other basic health checkups to keep diseases at bay. “The fact that we have so few PHCs, especially in rural areas, is the reason rural healthcare infrastructure is dilapidated. The staff are overworked, the accessibility is poor and there is an increasing disease burden,” said Dr Mahesh Kumar, president of Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association.
A glance at the Rural Health Statistics 2018-19 shows that shortfall in PHCs is 13 per cent. This has been calculated based on the 2011 census, according to which the rural population of 2.05 crore requires 731 PHCs but there are only 636.
In terms of CHCs the deficit is higher at 53 per cent as just 85 are available as against the requirement of 182 CHCs. “The issue is that healthcare is so inaccessible that quackery gets promoted, which tends to worsen the healthcare system, especially public healthcare. ,” added Dr Mahesh.