Allowed 12 private medical colleges to conduct COVID-19 RT-PCR tests: Telangana government to HC
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government told the High Court that it has accorded permission to 12 private medical colleges to conduct RT-PCR tests which come under State Health Department. Besides, all the District Medical and Health Offices were instructed to engage 300 mobile testing vans across the State. Tests are being carried out on the homeless people to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
It noted that the State has already constituted an expert committee for supervision of hospitals dedicated to COVID-19.
Pursuant to an earlier direction of the court, the government, represented by Director of Public Health and Family Welfare G Srinivasa Rao, submitted its 281-pages report before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B Vijaysen Reddy dealing with batch PILs seeking medical equipment, medicines, and trained staff in all designated COVID-19 hospitals, and another batch PILs filed against exorbitant charges being collected by various private hospitals for COVIDid-19 treatment.
It further said that the constitution of Death Audit Committee, as constituted by the Andhra Pradesh government, was under consideration. Psychiatrists teams are posted at Gandhi, Koti, and TIMS hospitals to counsel COVID patients. The institute of mental health at Erragadda is designated as referral hospital for those cases which need advanced counselling.
Errant hospitals
With regard to steps taken against the errant private hospitals, the government said that the DMHOs concerned will take necessary action based on the explanation given by private hospitals. Based on 65 grievances, private hospitals including Apollo, Yashoda, Care, Global, Continental, Star, KIMS, Kamineni, Deccan and so on, have received the show cause notices. In all, 1,411 grievances were received between July and November. The matter will come up for hearing on December 31.