Administrative officials of government hospitals in the State have been issued a general alert with regard to arrangements if COVID-19 cases were to surge. Health officials have earlier cautioned, at least on two occasions, that the cases might spike in mid-January or February next year.
Major hospitals in the State with dedicated wards for COVID patients include District Hospital in King Koti, Gandhi Hospital, Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences in Gachibowli, and District Hospital in Kondapur. Currently, all Omicron cases are admitted at TIMS.
Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy said the alert were also given to hospitals in various districts.
“We have asked hospitals administrations to review their preparedness, and check equipment so that we should be in a position to admit patients if the cases were to increase,” he added.
To keep a tab on the spike, District Medical and Health Officers and health staff check the number of COVID patients admitted in government and corporate hospitals, especially those admitted in ICUs and those on oxygen support. Upon suspicion, samples are collected from COVID patients at government hospitals and sent for genome sequencing.
At least one sample collected from a foreign national at Gandhi Hospital was sent for sequencing.
Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao has said regardless of the variant in circulation, imposition of lockdown is not an option.
As part of preparedness, a reorientation programme on COVID management is planned for doctors, considering that the second wave has long been on the wane.
Doctors in government hospitals said corporate hospitals must step up their precautionary measures as foreigners prefer the latter’s facilities.
