Hyderabad: The TS government has not formally conceded to a health emergency in the state, and city, but announced a slew of emergency measures that indirectly concedes to one, including cancellation of leave to all medical staff for next two months.
Amidst a heavy rush of patients complaining of dengue and a slew of other viral fevers across the state, overflowing hospitals, shortage of drugs, and a generally languishing health infrastructure under severe stress, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has instructed ministers, who were in villages, to monitor his 30-day action plan to make villages clean and green and to visit hospitals.
The ever-increasing number of dengue cases is creating panic, and anxious patients are rushing to hospitals in large numbers. While several cases might be only a viral fever, the fevers are being tested positive for either malaria, dengue, chikungunya or other mosquito-borne diseases.
Health minister Etala Rajender announced on Tuesday that keeping in view the alarming situation, the TS government has cancelled all categories of leaves for doctors, as well as medical and para-medical staff for two months.
Mr Rajender had rushed to the districts to take stock of the situation on the instructions of Chief Minister.
Mr Rajender visited the Suryapet area hospital, along with ministers Jagadish Reddy and Errabelli Dayakar Rao. Later on, he also went to Khammam district and visited hospitals in Khammam and Kothagudem.
The health minister held reviews with officials and doctors in Khammam district.
Later, he then met the media that at the Khammam General Hospital, with a total capacity of 400 beds, there were 600 patients housed. The district collector has been authorised to arrange 140 to 200 hundred temporary sheds in the premises to accommodate more patients, he said.
Mr Rajender appealed to the people not to panic as all the viral fevers are not dengue and malaria, and over 95 per cent seasonal fevers could be cured in two to three days.
He said that the Chief Minister had initiated the 30-days action plan to improve sanitation in villages. Once sanitation improves in villages, health of people would also improve, he argued.
