Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said on Sunday that the Centre has directed all industrial oxygen making units to make medical oxygen to tackle the current shortage in various hospitals across the country. Permissions have been accorded to begin 300 new industrial units for making medical oxygen and it is also being imported from Singapore and Germany, he said.
“Everyone is criticising the Central government but please note that oxygen supply is being augmented on a war footing to handle the current crisis. Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), Gachibowli, will also get a dedicated oxygen unit similar to the one being installed in Gandhi Hospital soon,” he announced, while talking to the media after visiting the hospital and interacting with the healthcare personnel.
For the second successive day, the Minister put the onus on preventing spike in cases on the citizens themselves. “There is little that governments or doctors can do. This pandemic control is in the hands of people with their COVID appropriate behaviour of social distancing, washing hands, face masks and getting tested at the first sign of symptoms as any delay will infect the lungs of the infected along with transmitting the virus to the near and dear ones,” he said.
“Prime Minister Narendera Modi has been emphasising on preventive measures since last year itself because when developed nations like United States and Germany have been brought to their knees by coronavirus, a populous country with insufficient health infrastructure like ours would face more challenges,” he added.
Later, speaking at the ESI Medical College and Hospital, Mr. Reddy assured that he would ensure the necessary funds, medical personnel and permissions to the proposed out patient wing. The hospital had done more than one lakh RT-PCR tests through the country’s first mobile virology research and development laboratory established with the support of the DRDO a year ago.
The Minister also congratulated Dean Dr. M. Srinivas for receiving the best medical college and hospital award in the country from ESI Corporation. He noted that the hospital has a dedicated 300-bed ward for COVID patients. DRDO chairman G. Sateesh Reddy also spoke to the Minister virtually from Delhi.
Dr. Srinivas informed that it is the only hospital with more than 1,000 beds (470 general beds, 88 ICU beds, 300 COVID beds and 150 super speciality beds along with 34 ICU beds) providing both COVID and non-COVID services exclusively to 70 lakh ESI beneficiaries of Telangana right from the beginning of this pandemic.
