Telangana's Second Wave Over: Health Director

Telangana's Director of Public Health, Dr G Srinivas Rao, today revealed that the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic was now over in the state.

Speaking to reporters at his Koti office, he said that the public no longer needed to fear the pandemic as the second wave was "completely over", claiming that both the number of cases and the number of Covid-related deaths were under control.

"People need not fear every bout of fever as not all fevers are corona related. However, one should simply get a check up all the same. Meanwhile, 20 districts in the state now have fully functional diagnostic centres that are working to provide primary level health services to locals. We have set up 24 platelet extraction machines to treat dengue and have set up special clinics as well across the major hospitals in the state after about 1,200 cases of non-Covid related viral fever were reported recently from 13 districts, including Hyderabad, Khammam, and Kothagudem," the senior official added.

Talking about the state's vaccination drive, he stated, "So far 1.65 crore people have been covered under the immunisation drive - 56% have received their first dose while 34% have received both doses. In Hyderabad, about 90% of the population has already been vaccinated."

"Government hospitals are being provided with more injections, equipment and medicines as well as staff to control the pandemic. Such efforts have successfully put a stop to the second wave. However, the state government is still alert and is working to check the outbreak of seasonal diseases like dengue and malaria and of water-borne diseases, too. We have alerted district-level health officials and the other relevant departments to coordinate to prevent the spread of such ailments. To remain healthy, I urge all those exhibiting symptoms of fever, drowsiness, and loose motions, to visit a doctor at the earliest," Rao urged.