'Will not hesitate to taken action against private hospitals against hetty bills, warns KTR

Reiterating the State government’s commitment to provide quality treatment to COVID-19 patients in government hospitals, IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao has warned private hospitals against charging patients with hefty bills. He pointed out that the State government had already taken action against such erring hospitals and will not hesitate to move against more private hospitals. He urged people to understand the fact that government hospitals are providing better services.

The Minister was responding to questions from the Twitterati on COVID-19 pandemic and other issues during an #AskKTR interactive session on Sunday.

Stating that coronavirus testing was already underway in more than 1,200 centres across the State and that over 23,000 tests were being conducted everyday, he said the testing will be increased to more than 40,000 tests per day in a few days. “While the mortality rate is less than one per cent in Telangana, the recovery rate in the



State was the highest in the country at 72 per cent,” he pointed out.

“Rather than spreading anti-government propaganda against government hospitals, people should also recognise the services being rendered by these hospitals where thousands of people have already been treated and sent home safely,” he said, and pointed out that even those who were denied treatment by private hospitals were being treated in government hospitals.

Rama Rao emphasised the need to strengthen the medical sector further in not only Telangana State, but also across the world after the Covid-19 experience. He said after the State formation, various programmes were launched to bring down infant and maternal mortality rate, started five government medical colleges and introduced Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in several area hospitals. More than 40 free dialysis centres have also been set up across the State. In addition, more than 200 Basti Dawakhanas were working in Hyderabad, he said.