Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Wednesday said that COVID-19 cases in Hyderabad were increasing due to people coming in from the neighbouring state of Maharashtra. The minister said that all the primary and tertiary hospitals in the Maharashtra-bordering districts like Nizamabad have been completely equipped with oxygen cylinders and other equipment required to treat COVID-19 patients.
On Wednesday, Nizamabad registered 179 coronavirus cases as per the health bulletin. Across the state, 1,914 cases were recorded, out of which Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation recorded the highest at 393 cases. The state also recorded five deaths. Presently, the state has 11,617 active cases.
“Though the cases are increasing, fortunately many of them are asymptomatic,” the minister said. He said that while previously the asymptomatic cases were at 80%, now they are at 90%. He added that the Health Department has been working efficiently, as the RT-PCR kits are available even at Primary Health Care Centre level, thus making it easy to immediately identify the COVID-19 patients and isolate them.
“Tracing, testing and treatment are being implemented effectively because of this. As a result of this, the mortality rates are also less,” he said.
Eatala said that the Chief Minister has given his approval to increase the vaccination capacity to 1,50,000 per day against the present capacity of 50,000. He said that they have also decided to increase the testing to 1 lakh per day.
He also said that they have reopened isolation centres in all the 33 districts for the benefit of asymptomatic patients who do not have isolation facilities in their house. Recently, a girl from Adilabad district, who contracted the virus, was forced to self-isolate in a makeshift tent for two weeks in a field, as the residents of Saleguda allegedly denied her entry into the village.
Eatala said that all the doctors have come forward voluntarily to provide 24/7 services without taking leaves. Similarly, he urged the ambulances employees and other hospital staff to work without taking breaks.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in a media statement appealed to the people to strictly follow COVID-19 protocols and contain the spread of the virus. Urging the same, the Health Minister said, “Please wear a mask, avoid attending public gathering functions, please travel only if necessary. Please follow these instructions carefully.”