HYDERABAD: As Telangana stares at a second wave of the pandemic, the State's Health Department has gotten into high gear with a slew of measures, one of them being a new mobile application to improve the 'trace-test' mechanism.
Also, the State is returning to its phase of high-preparedness by resuming the functioning of quarantine centres, dedicating one hospital in each district to COVID-19 treatment, prepping up oxygen availability in hospitals, resuming COVID-19 call centres, and allocating special ambulances.
Telangana is looking to convert a few hospitals into dedicated COVID-19 health centres.
Health Minister Eatala Rajender explained these measures in detail on Saturday, after a review meeting with various Health Department heads.
The new app introduced by the Health Department sends texts to the primary contacts of all the people who test positive for COVID-19 in Primary Health Centres (PHC).
The SMS will alert the contacts on the need to get tested immediately, while helping the Health Department officials trace them easily.
A dedicated COVID-19 hospital will be set up in each district that will have wards containing beds with oxygen lines, dedicated staff and medicines.
For the purpose, the government is providing 22 additional Liquid Oxygen Tanks to hospitals.
Within the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, more hospitals will be converted into COVID-19 health centres, including the Government Nizamia Tibbi Hospital, Fever Hospital and Chest Hospital.
Quarantine centres for people with no facilities to isolate themselves at home will be resumed. Nature Cure Hospital and Ayurveda Hospital have been slated for this purpose.
The Health Minister, meanwhile, warned private hospitals not to overcharge patients, and stick to the government-fixed rates for COVID-19 treatment.