Hyderabad: Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Monday instructed government officials to restart the vaccination programme in Telangana once again. Those who have already completed the first dose and are eligible for the second dose should go to the nearest government vaccination center, said director of state’s Public Health department, Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao.
On Monday, KCR also directed state government officials to implement a two-pronged strategy of continuing their fever survey, distribution of medical kits and to step up COVID-19 tests to curtail the virus’s spread in Telangana KCR, in a review meeting said that there should be a study done in places like Delhi where the spread of COVID-19 was controlled. If need be, a medical team should visit Delhi to examine and study the situation, he added.
“Reports suggest that Delhi Government is successfully curtailing the spread. Maharashtra also achieved good results in curtailing the spread. Find out what are the other states where the Corona spread is curtailing to a large extent and what are the measures and action plan they have taken,” KCR told officials from the state’s health department, said a press release from his office.
The chief minister made it clear to officials that the state government had no other issue on top priority other than containing the COVID-19 virus on its agenda and that he is ready to spend crores of rupees for this. “If need be, the government would take loans and spend to curtail Corona,” he said, according to the release.
KCR also said that the on-going fever survey and distribution of medical kits, the first of its kind in the country according to him, is yielding good results and it should be continued. He said all those who are coming to the Primary Health Centres (PHC) for COVID-19 tests should be tested without getting rejected. He also wanted to increase the number of Rapid Antigen Test Kits in all the medical centres.
“So far we are getting good results in reducing percentage of Corona. But we have to work to reduce its percentage of spread further. We have to learn from the good experiences and there is nothing wrong in it,” stated the chief minister. he added that starting Tuesday, the number of kits should be increased and if need be, manufacturers should be asked to increase the production and supply.
The chief minister also suggested that in the backdrop of Black Fungus disease spreading, special beds should be created and required medicines should be arranged in the state immediately. “Continue the fever survey and supply of medical kits to the needy as the programme is giving good results. At the same time, do not deny tests to the Corona suspected people. Don’t have any restrictions on the number of tests,” he told officials.
Following the decision to increase the tests, KCR instructed that the Rapid Antigen Test Kits should be increased to 50 lakh in the state. The CM directed Health Director Srinivas Rao to immediately hold a teleconference with the DMHOs and inquire about the recruitments, availability of medicines and the facilities in the hospitals. He also instructed the state Health department’s director to get a report in this regard.
The chief minister also instructed state finance minister Harish Rao to review departments such as police, Medical and health, whose expenditure has increased due to the COVID-19 lockdown. He asked Harish Rao to enhance the budget of both departments, and to also identify the departments whose expenditure is reduced due to the lockdown.
The CM also suggested that all the beds should be converted into oxygen beds and also suggested measures to increase oxygen production in the state to 600 metric tonnes. KCR also asked the state’s Corona Task Force Team Chairman and state IT minister KT Rama Rao to talk to vaccine manufacturers to supply the required vaccinations to the state to administer the second dose to the people who are waiting in large numbers in the State.
“Though the percentage of Corona is on the decrease, if we can get the percentage to 5 we will be called victorious. Medical and health officials should take measures towards this goal,” KCR stated. Moreover, he noted that people from the neighboring states are coming to Hyderabad for the treatment of COVID-19 and Black Fungus. The chief minister observed that the state government cannot “escape from giving treatment to people coming from other states”.