HYDERABAD: Vociferously defending the testing being done in Telangana and dismissing the criticisms levelled against Government COVID hospitals, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Monday stated that people with vested interests are finding ways to tarnish the government's efforts in controlling COVID.
The minister told presspersons that "we have only allowed people to take phones when they are in isolation because they are alone and need to be in touch with their families. However, people with vested interests are taking videos and photos to paint the wrong picture. There is no truth in these (allegations).”
Reiterating that the government was only following ICMR guidelines by testing symptomatic people, he said testing levels will be increased as and when required.
Rajender also said swab collection through special centres will commence from Tuesday with additional focus on the West Zone and South Zone of GHMC limits.
Telangana has till June 28 conducted 82,458 tests, he stated.
Don't tour private hospitals and come to government hospitals when it's too late
Stating that several people were approaching private hospitals first only to be rejected because of lack of beds and coming to government facilities only when it was too late, the Minister insisted that the state was well equipped to take care of all COVID patients.
"Gandhi Hospital has about 2000 beds, of which only 600-odd are occupied. We have four major COVID hospitals now in TIMS, Gandhi, King Koti and Chest Hospital. But in the private sector, they have no dedicated COVID hospital. I urge citizens to utilise the services in the government hospitals if their condition worsens during home isolation," he said.
Rajender added that there are 3500 oxygen beds at the moment and soon a further 6500 oxygen beds will be added.
When asked whether public representatives are ready to get admitted to a government hospital to build confidence among the general public, the minister cited the example of a Deputy Secretary-level bureaucrat seeking treatment at Gandhi Hospital.
He, however, evaded answering why several elected representatives were seeking treatment at corporate hospitals.
Home isolation to be the norm
Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar Jha made it clear that for mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic cases with no complications, home isolation will be the norm.
"Home isolation has been very successful. Of the 7109 people in home isolation, 1400-odd have already recovered and 5600-odd are still isolated. In all these cases, until now only 26 had to be shifted to hospital," he said.
Statistics
Testing
1. Swab Collections at special camps to resume from Tuesday after five-day break
2. Extensive testing in GHMC South and West Zone
3. Reinforced containment zones wherever positive cases are reported
4. A total of 10,666 cases in GHMC, with 7250 active
Frontline warriors affected in Telangana
1. 255 government medical staff, 1 death
2. 31 private health staff
3. 184 cops have contracted the virus, 2 deaths
4. In the special CS office, 11 people tested positive
Infrastructure
150 ambulances have been procured to treat people at a speedy rate
6500 Oxygen beds to be added, total to be 10,000 oxygen beds
King Koti for OP services 24X7 for Corona suspect testing and treatment
Gandhi, Chest Hospital and TIMS for CORONA positive patients
Home Isolation
Presently in home isolation- 7109
Patients discharged from home isolation- 1438
Presently in home isolation- 5671
Patients who had to be re-admitted - 26
Rate of deaths is 1.7 in TS, across India it is 3.0, according to government figures.