Telangana: Cloud of uncertainty looms over lockdown extension
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao
Hyderabad: The suspense over extension of lockdown continues as the high-level meeting held here on Monday to review the Covid-19 situation did not take any decision on the issue.
It is learnt that the government will wait for a report from the team of officials who have been asked to go to Delhi and study what extent the lockdown had helped in reducing the surge in corona cases and how the Delhi administration succeeded in bringing down the spike in cases. A final decision will be taken in the next two or three days.
The government is still assessing the impact of the ongoing lockdown on Covid cases. While the official data claims that the number of cases is coming down, the beds in hospitals continue to remain full and complaints continue to pour in that the private hospitals were charging exorbitant rates. The private hospitals are said to be not following the government prescribed rates.
He also cautioned the officials on Monday about the possibility of outbreak of third wave of corona pandemic and announced a "two -pronged Strategy" to contain its spread.
Under the new strategy, the government would intensify Fever Survey in every habitation and distribute medical kits to those suffering from fever and other mild corona symptoms. In the second stage, corona tests would be conducted to identify all corona positive patients. The door to door Fever Survey would help the government in mapping the suspected corona cases. All the PHCs ( Primary Health Centres ) would be equipped with corona testing kits and every person who come to the health centre will undergo corona tests instantly.
About 50 lakh Rapid Antizen Medical Test kits should be made available additionally at all PHCs in the state, the CM instructed the officials. He called upon the officials to pick up the best practices adopted by other states in controlling the surge in Corona cases. "We can learn from anywhere," he added.
The high-level meeting further decided that all the beds in the hospitals would be upgraded as oxygen beds.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the availability of corona vaccines and instructed the officials to speed up the procurement of vaccine to administer second dose to the citizens on priority basis. In view of increasing requirement of funds for health sector, KCR asked Finance Minister T Harish Rao to hold a review meeting on fund availability and divert the same to important sectors in the crisis time.