COVID second wave: Increase beds in govt hospitals, amplify tests: Somesh Kumar
By Newsmeter Network Published on 15 April 2021 10:15 AM GMT
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on 15 April directed officials to increase the number of beds for COVID-19 patients in government hospitals and private medical colleges so as to be prepared for any eventuality in case of an increase in cases in the state.
The Chief Secretary held a high-level meeting with senior officials to take stock of the COVID-19 situation in the state. He directed the district collectors to ramp up testing, intensify vaccination, and focus on enforcing the government orders on COVID-appropriate behavior, including mandatory wearing of masks.
The number of COVID-19 care centers should be doubled in all the districts and private hospitals should be sensitized on the judicious use of oxygen, he added.On Tuesday, the medical bulletin had stated that 13 private hospitals in the GHMC area did not have a single bed for COVID-19 patients. Also, six hospitals in the adjoining district of Medchal-Malkajgiri and five hospitals in Rangareddy had run out of beds.
Meanwhile, the health department on Wednesday warned that the new variant of coronavirus is rapidly spreading and the situation might get worse.
The director of public health, Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao, appealed to everyone in the state to wear a mask, even at home. "The situation in the past few weeks was bad and it might get worse in the coming six weeks. If citizens don't take precautions, the state will turn into another Maharashtra," he warned.
He explained that if one person gets infected, the virus will spread to the entire family within a few hours or a day or two. "People should try to wear masks inside the house and while they venture outside," said Dr. Rao.
He also added that the government is not going to impose another lockdown as it is bad for the state economy and will adversely impact people's livelihood. "If the state is not going to impose a lockdown that doesn't mean that the coronavirus situation is better. The situation in the state is grave," he said.
