Published 12:59 IST, June 17th 2020
Telangana: Congress' Marri Reddy asks for more testing in letter to Guv Soundararajan
Reddy has written a letter to state Gov Tamilisai Soundarajan to ensure that there is increase in testing in order to identify and cure more COVID-19 patients
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Chairman of Telangana Congress Committee Marri Shashidhar Reddy has written a letter to state Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan to ensure that there is an increase in testing in order to identify and cure more coronavirus patients. Reddy has also asked for an improvement in the public health care system.
INC asks for more testing
ANI quoted Reddy as saying, "We have submitted a representation to Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana stating the Medical Response to Covid-19 by the State Government. It appears that the state government has totally underestimated the possible impact of COVID-19, having not been able to resort to scientific modelling, as the real data had apparently been largely concealed and suppressed. Without getting into any blame game, we have taken note of certain decisions of the state government on 14.06.2020 and 15.06.2020, covering issues like testing and treatment," Reddy added.
Regarding the state government's decision to increase testing earlier this week, Reddy said, "We welcome the proposal to scale up testing to 50,000 in the next week or 10 days in 30 assembly constituencies in Hyderabad and four surrounding districts. However, the government should come out clearly about the statistical basis for arriving at this figure of 50,000 and the actual identification of people for testing."
The state government on Monday capped the cost of conducting a COVID-19 test in a private lab at Rs 2,200 and fee for treatment in private hospitals from Rs 4,000 to Rs 9000 per day, depending on use of some equipment. Addressing the media, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender said, "Government has set the Coronavirus treatment prices at private hospitals and labs. Corona test fee is Rs 2,200, normal isolation charges are Rs.4,000 per day. ICU charges are Rs 7,500 per day without a ventilator while Rs 9,000 per day with a ventilator. There are extra charges for antibiotic usage."
The state continued to witness a surge in COVID-19 cases with 213 people testing positive for the virus on Tuesday, taking the tally to 5,406, while four deaths took the toll to 191. The state reportedly tested 1,251 samples on Tuesday.
(Image credits: ANI)
12:59 IST, June 17th 2020