Telangana to ramp up testing

KCR asks officials to increase testing from tomorrow; says no person should be denied Covid test

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday announced a two-pronged strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19 in Telangana State. Besides continuing with the fever survey and handing over medical kits to symptomatic persons, the government will also increase testing across the State commencing Wednesday. The Chief Minister also wanted the State administration to be fully prepared for the anticipated third wave of Covid-19, whenever it takes place.

“We must increase the stocks of Rapid Antigen Test kits to 50 lakh and no person should be denied a Covid test at any Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) or other testing centres. If required, speak to the manufacturers directly and place orders for increased supply of testing kits,” the Chief Minister directed the officials at a high-level meeting held at Pgathi Bhavan on the Covid-19 situation, black fungus as well as the State-wide lockdown.

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The Chief Minister also instructed the Covid-19 Task Force chaired by Industries Minister KT Rama Rao to convene a meeting with the vaccine manufacturers immediately for the supply of adequate vaccines to ensure that people waiting for their second dose are vaccinated.

The Chief Minister observed that the pandemic was showing signs of decline due to strict implementation of the lockdown keeping in view public health and safety. He instructed the Director of Health G Srinivas Rao to hold a teleconference with District Medical and Health Officers immediately and prepare a list of requirements in all the hospitals including staff, medicines and other facilities.

The Chief Minister wanted the officials to immediately address the shortcomings including expediting the process of temporary recruitment of medical staff in all the government hospitals. “There is no need to hesitate on the expenditure that the government will incur on account of these measures as public health is paramount for the government,” he asserted.

Stating that due to lockdown, the expenditure of certain departments will increase and other departments might decrease, Chandrashekhar Rao asked Finance Minister T Harish Rao to conduct a review and identify the departments where cost-cutting can be implemented besides increasing allocations to departments like police and health.

The Chief Minister emphasised the need to study the measures taken in urban centres like Delhi which had effectively contained the spread of Coronavirus with the lockdown. He suggested that a special team visit Delhi for this purpose. He suggested the increase in the number of oxygen beds in all government hospitals and arrangements to scale up oxygen supplies up to 600 tonnes.

“We are making good progress in containing the pandemic, but must strive harder to bring down the positivity rate to five per cent and win this battle. For this, we must study good measures being implemented in other States like Delhi and Maharashtra which are yielding good results. There is nothing wrong in replicating such measures and implementing them more effectively to achieve the desired results,” he asserted.

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