All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislators met Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday and submitted a representation for more free COVID-19 testing centres.
The move came days after party president Asaduddin Owaisi gave his samples for testing at the Government Unani Hospital in Charminar and also got an antigen test done at an Urban Primary Health Centre. Mr. Owaisi also directed corporators to facilitate testing for at least 500 persons in each ward.
AIMIM legislators interacted with Mr. Rajender and told him about locations where there is a need to augment testing centres. A demand for three additional antigen testing centres was made at Chandrayangutta; Basti Dawakhanas in Kumarwadi, Tadlakunta and Millatnagar.
They suggested government infrastructure such as community halls and playgrounds to double up as testing centres. For instance, seven community halls in seven constituencies represented by the AIMIM were suggested, and one playground each in Yakutpura and Charminar were sought to be utilised as testing centres.
“For the past few days, we have been going round PHCs across neighbourhoods to evaluate the infrastructure and the response of people. There are many who have come out to get themselves tested. Certain places need more testing centres and there was a paucity of staff. All these were listed by our party MLAs and given to the Health Minister,” said an AIMIM functionary.
Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, Mr. Owaisi said that the MLAs demanded that at least 1,000 RT-PCR tests be done per day in each testing centre.
