Health, Medical and Family Welfare Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal said temporary COVID-19 treatment facilities on the lines of COVID Care Centres will be set up on the premises of general hospitals with German hangers across the State to increase bed availability for patients.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Mr. Anil Kumar Singhal said that 200 to 300 beds would be arranged at each such facility in Guntur, Krishna, Nellore and other hospitals.
He said mildly ill to moderately ill patients would be treated at these facilities and oxygen supply would also be available.
Mr. Singhal said that private hospitals would be mandated to allocate vacant beds to the government for treatment under the Aarogyasri scheme hereafter and soon orders would be issued.
He said empanelled hospitals were already required to allot 50% beds for Aarogyasri beneficiaries and further vacant beds in the hospital quota should also be given to the government.
He said there were 16,967 beds in government hospitals, 25,058 beds in empanelled private hospitals and 1,949 beds in 47 COVID notified hospitals in the State.
In the 349 empanelled hospitals 7,647 patients were getting treatment under Aarogyasri, he said.
Oxygen supply
Mr. Singhal said 25 cryogenic tankers with 20-tonne capacity each for transportation and supply of oxygen would be bought soon and orders were placed for the purchase of 10,000 oxygen concentrators.
In addition, oxygen generation plants with 76-tonne capacity would be developed. Currently, six plants of 25 tonne capacity were operating.
Mr. Singhal said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking enhancement of oxygen allocation to the State.