EHYDERABAD: Asking people not to believe in rumours, Health Minister T Harish Rao on Friday stated that no instance of Covid-19 variant Omicron has been found in Telangana. Stating that there was no need to worry, the Minister said that the State government is alert and taking all possible measures to ensure that the people of Telangana are safe.
Speaking after inaugurating a Basthi Dawakhana at Shantiniketan Colony in Old Bowenpally, Harish Rao said that Covid-19 tests were conducted on travellers from 11 ‘at risk’ countries. “If they test positive, they will be shifted directly to TIMS,” he said.
Referring to Omicron, Harish Rao said that extensive use of masks, cleaning hands with sanitiser, physical distancing and administering of vaccines were the only options to curb the spread of new variants. “Self-regulation must be practised. If all of these are followed, Covid-19 can be controlled easily,” the Minister said, appealing to all citizens to cooperate with the government in controlling the spread of the virus.
He said that so far, the State government has established 258 Basthi Dawakhanas in various localities in GHMC limits and 92 more will be established in the coming months.
With Basthi Dawakhanas turning a boon for the urban poor in Greater Hyderabad limits, the government has proposed to establish 144 similar primary health care centres in urban local bodies across the State.
Of the proposed 350 Basthi Dawakhanas, 92 will be set up in GHMC limits to provide access to better medical care.
These healthcare centres have successfully been meeting the medical needs of the urban population, especially the poor as the services are being provided at free of charge, the Health Minister said.
He said that about 91 percent of eligible persons in Telangana have received the first dose of Covid vaccine and 47 percent have completed the two-dose regime.
He said that the State has a buffer stock of 80 lakh Covid vaccines and requested individuals who are yet to get vaccinated to come forward and get it done at the earliest. The Minister, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi and other local representatives inaugurated 32 new Basthi Dawakhanas in different parts of the city on Friday.