HYDERABAD: Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Wednesday urged people, who are without symptoms, not to come to hospitals for COVID-19 tests. It results in panic among COVID-19 patients, who are being treated at the hospitals, he said while speaking to media persons. He said that the government is ready to conduct a series of COVID-19 tests for the symptomatic people. He also asserted that the government would not compromise on public health.

The health minister reiterated that the general public, especially families from financially weaker sections and the middle class, should make use of the public health care facilities that are offering treatment for the dread coronavirus.

“I urge the public not to panic and get frightened by unverified news circulating on various social media platforms about the situation of Covid-19 pandemic in Hyderabad and the government healthcare facilities in the city,” he said.

The minister urged people with COVID-19 symptoms to walk into the District Hospital in King Koti, Gandhi Hospital or TIMS Gachibowli, and get themselves tested. "Mild and asymptomatic patients can stay at home and our government health care workers will monitor their health over the phone,” Rajender said.

He also announced that the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) will be operational by June 29 for COVID-19 treatment. It will have a bed capacity of 1,124 of which 1,000 beds will have provision for oxygen supply while 100 other beds with ventilators, he informed.