Telangana government to decide if private hospitals can treat COVID-19
HYDERABAD: Responding to the Telangana High Court (HC) order, Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday said the State government would decide regarding allowing private institutions testing and treating Covid-19 patients. But he questioned if private hospitals would be able to take the measures to test, track and treat the patients as compared with the collective effort of government hospitals, panchayats, police and municipal corporations.
In an official communication, the Health Minister said, “The Telangana government has always maintained that rapid testing is not required, and now Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also said it should not be done. We have been following the rules according to the Chief Minister’s advice.
If we permit private institutions to test and treat (novel Coronavirus patients), will they be able to coordinate the way our government hospitals, panchayats, municipal corporations and police have been, to test, track and treat Covid patients and their primary contacts?”
1,500 ventilators, mobile ICU bus for Covid patients
Healthcare workers in the coming weeks would have access to at least 1,500 ventilators in Telangana to treat critical Covid-19 patients. While inaugurating a Mobile Covid ICU developed by Grace Cancer Foundation, Eatala said IT firm Micron Technology provided 100 ventilators, while 400 more would be available in the coming days. “We have also placed orders for 1,000 ventilators which will be available in the coming weeks,” he said.