Telangana HC angry at state govt over COVID-19 tests

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court yesterday expressed its displeasure over the steps taken by the state government for the containment of the COVID-19. The HC asked the hospitals of the state to admit the patients based on COVID-19 symptoms.

 When the government told the HC that they were performing 30,000 to 40,000 RTPCR tests every day, the HC rebutted the claims by saying only 3.47 lakh RTPCR tests since April 1 instead of 8.4 lakh tests. It asked the state government as to why it did not perform the requisite number of the tests. It asked the state government to admit the patients even without the RTPCR tests and added that the state government should release media bulletin every day.

It asked the state government to increase the number of tests in Yadadri Bhongir, Nirmal, Jagitiyala, Kamareddy, and Medchal Malkajgiri districts as these districts are registering a huge number of positive cases.

The HC also asked the state government to set up rehabilitation centers for all the migrant workers of the state besides asking it to constitute a special committee for the prevention of the virus. Making it clear that the imposition of night curfew is not enough, it asked the state government to ensure that there was no movement of people in public places. It asked the state government to put restrictions on the organization of election meetings and rallies in the state.

The state government told the HC that the state has 1350, 108 ambulances and added that 450 ambulances were serving the needy people after receiving phone calls from them. Responding to this, the HC asked the state government to promote the toll-free numbers of 108 and 104 across the state and added that display boards should be put up at all Government and private hospitals and diagnostics centers of the state.