Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has ordered absorption of 1,200 students who completed their post-graduate medical courses in the State into government service.
At an official meeting to discuss steps taken to check spread of coronavirus, Mr. Rao also ordered immediate filling up of 200 vacancies of medical officers in primary health centres.
Among the decisions at the meeting were to extend University Grants Commission pay scales to faculty at teaching hospitals, pay for newly appointed nurses on a par with those already in service, hike in retirement age of teachers in Ayush departments up to 65 years and continuation of 10% additional pay as incentive to all personnel in health department, including outsourced employees. The incentive will also be continued to personnel in police and municipalities and sanitation workers of gram panchayats.
It was also decided to allot ₹100 crore in addition to the regular budget provisionary to health department for emergency needs in tackling COVID and providing better treatment to patients. The fund will be placed at the disposal of the Health Minister and Chief Secretary for taking instant decisions.
Mr. Rao allayed the fears of public about coronavirus but, at the same time, warned them not to be negligent. There was no need for people who tested COVID positive to rush to private hospitals and spend large amounts of money. The government hospitals and staff were equipped to treat as many patients as possible.
He said the COVID mortality rate in the State was less than the national average and the recovery rate very high. Of the 3,692 positive patients who were undergoing treatment in hospitals till Thursday, everyone was recovering except 200 persons who suffered from comorbidities.
The positive cases in the State till date were 41,018, discharged persons were 27,295 ( 67 %t) and asymptomatic persons in home quarantine were 9,636. The rest underwent treatment in hospitals and speedily recovering.
He reiterated that there was no other option but to live with the virus. The country was in unlock mode and the Centre had decided to operate international flights. There was no need to get agitated as the situation was not very scary.
He accused the Centre of messing up measures to tackle the virus but Telangana got into the right gear to mobilise its resources speedily and face the threat.
There was no shortage of medical infrastructure in the State as 3,000 beds fitted with oxygen cylinders were readily available at Gandhi Hospital and Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. The strength of such beds State-wide was 5,000. The total bed strength exclusively for virus patients was 10,000.
About 1,500 ventilators were also available. There were lakhs of personal protective equipment and N-95 masks, There was no dearth of drugs. In these circumstances, there was no need to mind criticism against the government. The treatment available at government hospitals was according to Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines. The facilities for treatment were available at all government institutions right from PHCs.
He warned private hospitals against creating artificial scarcity of beds. They should intimate government about bed position on a regular basis.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Eatala Rajender, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Health Secretary Murtaza Ali Rizvi and senior health officials.
