Countering the mounting criticism against the TRS government's "failures" to contain the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Telangana, IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao today said that there was "no dearth" of governmental funds or political will to manage the ongoing health crisis.
The minister stated that Telangana had access to adequate stocks of medical oxygen. He also mentioned that the clean energy firm Greenko Group had offered 200 oxygen concentrators to the state to help critically ill Covid-19 patients.
Each concentrator reportedly produces 10 litres of oxygen per minute. An aircraft flew in the concentrators to Hyderabad after which KTR and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar went to receive the same on behalf of the state government. Company co-founders Anil Chalamalasetty and Mahesh Kolli were also present.
800 more such large medical grade oxygen concentrators will be flown in by Greenko to India's second and third tier cities soon. Over the next five days, various cities, including Hyderabad, will receive more cargo planes carrying concentrators as well.
KTR, speaking on the occasion, said that the government of Telangana was taking all the steps required to combat the pandemic in the region, not just in the state, and was providing
treatment to patients coming from neighbouring states as well.
Talking about the donations, KTR extended his thanks to the Greenko Group for the donation, and to Indigo airlines for helping in the transportation of the donated oxygen concentrators. He then reassured the people of the state that Telangana was in "a much better position to handle the pandemic" as compared to many other states in the country.
"Our government has taken all the required measures to check the spread of Covid-19. We are working to bring down fatality and infection rates as well. We have appealed to the Centre to provide us with medicines and medical oxygen and it has responded positively to our appeal. We hope to receive stocks of injections, vaccines and oxygen soon," the minister said.