'Telangana COVID-19 Tests To Be Increased To 40,000'

HYDERABAD: IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao on Sunday warned private hospitals against overcharging patients for COVID-19 treatment. He assured that the state government is committed to providing quality healthcare to coronavirus patients.

The minister was responding to questions during the #AskKTR interactive session on Sunday on Twitter.

KTR warned private hospitals against such malpractice and said that the government has taken action against such hospitals.

On COVID-19 testing, he said that 23,000 tests were being conducted everyday across Telangana and it will soon be increased to 40,000. He also pointed out that while the mortality rate is less than one per cent in Telangana, the recovery rate was the highest in the country at 72 per cent.

The minister emphasised that after COVID-19 experience, the world needs to shift its focus to strengthening its medical sector.

He also stated that people's participation is also required to fight the virus and the government alone can't help. “Fear psychosis, stigma and social ostracism were causing a lot of grief. I am very pained to see the story of an old couple committing suicide recently to not infect their family,” he said.

He said that health minister Eetala Rajender was closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the state and talks are also underway for plasma therapy.

He said that accusations of under-reporting COVID-19 positive cases and deaths in the state as unfounded and baseless, adding that wearing masks, maintaining physical distance are useful and simple steps to keep the virus away.

On COVID-19 vaccine, he said that he is hoping the vaccine first comes out of Telangana but will also be happy if another country also brings it first.

“I was told by the vaccine manufacturers that it may take 6-9 months to release the vaccine,” he added.