CM K Chandrasekhar Rao releases Rs.100 crore for Covid-19 contigency fund

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday announced several critical decisions pertaining to frontline Covid personnel even as he appealed to the people not to panic over coronavirus pandemic since the State government was taking all measures to contain the virus, besides being fully equipped to provide necessary treatment.

He said he has sanctioned a contingency fund of Rs 100 crore in addition to the general budget allocations made to the Medical and Health Department, keeping the funds at the disposal of Health Minister Eatala Rajender and Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar for any emergency purchases in the fight against coronavirus.

Speaking at a high level meeting on COVID-19 at Pragathi Bhavan here, the Chief Minister also directed the officials to increase the salaries of doctors and nurses, besides extending the 10 per cent additional salary as Covid-19 incentive to all the employees of the Medical and Health department including outsourced employees. The COVID-19 incentive for police personnel and sanitation workers working in urban and rural local bodies will also continue, he said, and instructed the officials to ensure that there was no shortage of Remdesivir, Tocilizumab and Favilavir medicines under any circumstances by ensuring adequate stocks.

The Chief Minister decided to implement UGC scale salaries for the faculty working in government medical colleges. He also decided to pay salaries to the newly appointed nurses on par with the old employees. He also directed the authorities to increase the retirement age limit of faculty members working in the AYUSH departments/teaching hospitals to 65 years. He instructed them to fill all 200 vacant doctor posts in the PHC across the State, beside taking measures to recruit 1,200 PG doctors who passed out recently.

Chandrashekhar Rao urged people to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. He suggested that those infected with the virus need not spend their hard-earned money on treatment in private hospitals since the government hospitals and also the staff were ready to provide better services to any number of patients.

He also warned private hospitals to maintain transparency in availability of beds. “Stern action will be taken against those who are creating an artificial scarcity of beds in private hospitals. Every hospital should display in public the number of beds and their availability, besides informing the same to the State government at regular intervals,” he asserted.

Further, the Chief Minister pointed out that the entire world was severely affected by coronavirus. However, the recovery rate in the State was far higher and the death rate was far lower than the national average.

As on Thursday, 41,018 persons tested positive for Covid-19 and about 27,295 patients (67 per cent) have recovered and have since been discharged. Another 9,636 asymptomatic patients are in home quarantine. There are 3,692 patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19 in



different government hospitals across the State, he said.

The condition of only 200 of these patients who have comorbidities is said to be serious while all the others are recovering. The State government is also monitoring the health condition of even asymptomatic Covid-19 patients as per the Covid-19 protocol and providing them necessary treatment.

Chandrashekhar Rao pointed out that the unlock process was in progress across the country and people were coming out of their homes for work. He stated that the Centre was even planning to operate international flights. “We have no option but to co-exist with coronavirus by taking adequate precautions like personal hygiene, wearing masks, frequent hand-washing and usage of sanitisers. I request the people to stay put at their homes and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary,” he urged.

Reiterating that the State government was fully prepared to provide necessary treatment to Covid-19 patients in government hospitals, the Chief Minister pointed out that the State government made all the arrangements to fight the virus right from early preliminary stages even as the Centre was in confusion. About 5,000 beds with oxygen facility have been readied in government hospitals across the State with 3,000 of them being available at Gandhi Hospital along with Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS). In all, around 10,000 beds have been exclusively made available for coronavirus patients in government hospitals across the State. Of these, about 1,500 beds are equipped with ventillators, he said.

“We have kept lakhs of PPE kits and N95 masks ready, and there is no shortage of medicines and other equipment. The doctors and other medical staff are rendering great services. People need not get worry over silly allegations and instead, move forward with self-confidence. Medical personnel should focus more on providing effective treatment to the public,” he added.

Chandrashekhar Rao also urged people need not rush to private hospitals and pay hefty fee, and instead, get quality treatment at government hospitals free of cost. “Anyone with symptoms should immediately approach the nearest government hospital to seek medical advice and get treatment. Arrangements have been made to provide Covid-19 treatment in all government hospitals right from the Primary Healthcare Centre level (PHC) level in the State. 

To prevent the spread of coronavirus, the government was ready to spend whatever is required to provide better treatment for those infected with the virus,” he said, and thanked the medical staff for their services in treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Health Minister Eatala Rajender, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Principal Secretary for Medical and Health Murtaza Rizvi, CMO Principal Secretary S Narsing Rao, Secretary Rajasekhar Reddy and other officials participated in the meeting.