Help Government Fight Covid-19: Etala To Hospitals

Telangana Health Minister Etala Rajender today exhorted the private healthcare providers in the state to follow government instructions to help contain the spread of Covid-19.

Speaking to the administrations of several private hospitals at the office of the Commissionerate Of Health and Family Welfare, in Koti, the minister discussed the steps that the hospitals needed to take to prevent the further spread of the fatal disease.

He instructed them to keep 50% of the beds in their facilities empty, and also urged them not to overcharge patients seeking treatment, and said, "To effectively arrest the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state, the government needs the support of the private hospitals as well. In this regard, I would urge you to provide hassle-free Covid-19 related services. We are already doing our bit - as per the instructions of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, we have taken all the measures needed to increase beds, procure vaccines, and hike up testing. Now, the private hospitals too must support us in our bid to test, trace and treat."

The hospitals were also asked to remain ready with adequate ICUs and ventilator infrastructure to handle the ongoing second wave of the pandemic.

The meeting was reportedly held after many patients complained that the private hospitals in the state had been looting them using the Covid-19 vaccination drive. To address this particular issue, the minister repeatedly reiterated that the private healthcare providers not "loot their patients" by charging exorbitant prices for testing, treatment, and immunisation, and asked them to charge the fees stipulated by the government instead.

"There should be no more complaints about the hefty medical fees being charged by private hospitals. Neither should any reports of negligence surface. We hope to see all patients being given timely and proper treatment in every hospital at the standard prices. All officials at the state's borders have been asked to remain alert as there is a near-continuous influx of people from states like Karnataka and Maharashtra into our state. Please be prepared to handle critical cases," he said.

Turning to the public, Rajender asked everyone to be "extra-cautious" and follow all the prevention and safety protocols required to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"Our government is currently carrying out its vaccination program. All those above 45 must get inoculated. We have taken several steps to fight the pandemic, but the people too have to help us. Please remain alert, and ensure that you adhere to all the ICMR and government-issued safety guidelines," he appealed.

As part of its efforts to scale up the prevention drive in the state, the government has reportedly released Rs 1.79 crore for the setting up of four new Covid-19 centres in Hyderabad. As part of this effort, the Nature Cure Centre in Begumpet, the Ayurveda College in Erragadda, the Government Nizamia General Hospital in Moghalpura, and the Sarojini Devi Hospital in Humayun Nagar will be turned into Covid-19 treatment and testing facilities.