We have urged all healthcare workers to avoid taking leaves: Eatala Rajender

The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant surge in infections across the country but was under control in Telangana, Health Minister Eatala Rajender has said.

However, everyone should follow the extensive use of masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene to keep fresh infections in the State under control and to avoid stress on healthcare infrastructure, the Minister said here on Wednesday.

Telangana shares a long border with Maharashtra and it is no surprise that we too are witnessing an increase in Covid cases. Hyderabad is a cosmopolitan mega city and people from all States travel and live here. So, there is definitely going to be a surge in cases in and around Hyderabad and even in other urban centres of Telangana. 

However, unlike other States, the second wave is still under control in the State,” Rajender told the media.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and a high-level technical expert committee were constantly monitoring the situation. “At present, there is no serious surge of Covid cases to prompt us to impose severe restrictions. The developing situation will be assessed by the Chief Minister time to time and appropriate decisions will be taken,” the Minister said.

Despite a rise in the number of cases, almost 90 per cent to 95 per cent of Covid positive cases were asymptomatic in Telangana. “That’s the reason there has been no pressure so far on government and private healthcare establishments. Covid rapid tests are readily available at all



government healthcare facilities, which is helping us quickly identify, trace and treat positive cases,” Rajender said.

“A majority of positive cases are in home isolation and from our side, we are issuing them with a kit comprising medicines. Through tele-calling, our local PHC doctors are tracking their condition,” he said.

Unlike last year, health authorities were not struggling to trace primary and secondary contacts of Covid positive patients. “Individuals who test positive are immediately informing local doctors about contacts, which helps in quick tracing, testing, treating and isolation,” he said.

All government hospitals were offering non-Covid services, he said. “It is vital for us to ensure non-Covid services are available. We have fully decentralised Covid services and have ensured PHCs, CHCs, Area and District Hospitals have enough stock of drugs, oxygen supply and manpower. We have urged all healthcare workers to avoid taking leaves and be prompt in their response to persons with Covid symptoms,” he said.

The State government is doing its best to ramp up the Covid vaccination process and efforts were on to increase daily vaccination from the present 50,000 vaccine doses to at least 1.5 lakh doses. “We are aware of the fact that the second wave might last for months. However, we need the public to cooperate and take precautions. I have personally contacted private hospitals and urged them not to inflate medical bills while they treat Covid cases,” he said.