Telangana Health Minister Etala Rajender today pulled up the officials concerned for failing to take preventive measures immediately when viral fevers broke out in the State creating panic among the people.
He also warned private hospitals of severe action for spreading rumours of dengue and viral fevers.
The minister was holding a review meeting with the Collector and health officials in Karimnagar today, and expressed serious displeasure at them for not checking the spread of viral fevers.
Though there was widespread panic about the spread of the viral fevers and the people were afraid of dengue, the officials did not take measures to address that either, he said.
He urged the people not to worry about dengue, which he claimed had not entered the State at all.
He also directed the officials to address the shortage of medicines, and to recruit doctors and staff on a temporary basis until permanent posts were filled.
"No patient should suffer from a lack of staff or facilities," he said.
The minister also asked the officials to set up health camps in villages suffering from viral fevers. The village level primary health centres needed to provide proper healthcare services to the people to ensure they did not flock to the district hospitals, he added.
He also said that private hospitals should not give hasty publicity to any dengue cases as that would compound the panic among the patients. The government would take serious action such hospitals, he warned. Elisa tests should be conducted first to prove affiction by dengue, he said.
He also asked the DHMO officials to release medical bulletins, and said no others should give any information on fevers.