The Health department on Thursday warned that the coronavirus has entered community and threatened critical conditions, particularly in Hyderabad, in the next four to five weeks on account of the possible spread of seasonal water and vector borne diseases like gastroenteritis due to rains.
Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy and Director of Public Health G.Srinivasa Rao told a press conference that the government was well prepared to meet any emergency with adequate vacant beds in hospitals and basic drugs to treat coronavirus at an early stage. It was able to deliver well in Hyderabad but concerned about tier-II cities in erstwhile districts. The government had exhausted 2 lakh Rapid Antigen testing kits and was in the process of acquiring another 2 lakh kits.
They said it was found in 80-85%t COVID patients that the symptoms were mild and vanished soon if the treatment commenced on the first or the second day. However, the symptoms were high if the treatment was delayed or patients suffered from comorbidities.
Dr. Srinivasa Rao appealed to people not to ignore the slightest of symptoms like cough, cold or fever but rush to nearby primary health centre. They should not spend heavily in private hospitals as the treatment there was no different from government institutions.
Dr. Ramesh Reddy said an anti-biotic treatment that could be completed at a cost of ₹ 150 to ₹ 200 with initial diagnosis of virus went into lakhs of rupees in private hospitals. The drugs were also available free of charge in government hospitals. Both government and private hospitals followed the same set of standard protocols of treatment. The treatment was also available in peripheral hospitals in districts. There was no need for patients to rush to Hyderabad. The first step of doctors at hospitals was to stabilise patients as soon as symptoms were diagnosed. Then, they shifted them to higher referral hospitals by ambulances.
He urged people not to undergo tests if they did not have symptoms. It will amount to denial of chance to the needy. The government was now doing 10,000 tests a day but likely to step them up to 20,000 or 25,000 a day in future.
On the newly launched WhatsApp number to receive complaints from public, they said about 125 complaints were received every day against private hospitals for charging high fees, not accepting insurance policies and insisting on cash payment. There were also some bed related issues. A project management unit was resolving the issues.
They denied decrease in oxygen pressure in ventilators due to increase in patients strength. There were technical issues in oxygen supplying pipelines which was addressed. They admitted to shortage of ward boys and patient care providers as they were scared to do the job.
