Hyderabad: The Minister for Medical and Health Eatala Rajender said that the Telangana Government has decided to add nearly 3010 beds in various Government hospitals for Covid – 19 throughout state.

Speaking to the media persons on Tuesday, he admitted that the state has a shortfall of about 500 beds for patients affected with Covid – 19. These beds will all have oxygen support along with CPAP facilities and will help give better and timely care to patients, he said. Apart from these oxygen beds, we will also ready 200 beds in NIMS hospital for doctors and other officials and about 350 oxygen supported beds have been readied in ESI hospital, Nacharam. These will be available for the public from April 28^th, after Labour Minister Mallareddy meets officials, he said.

Etala also said that the state was presently having sufficient oxygen; he said that as against the usage of 250-270 metric tonnes of oxygen for Covid – 19 patients, the state was receiving supply of 400 metric tonnes. “We were the first state to deploy aircraft for getting oxygen after news from Delhi, UP and Maharashtra on oxygen shortage came forth. The oxygen we received from Orissa will be shared both with government and private hospitals”, he added.

The State Government has urged the Centre to rework the supply for Telangana from Bellary instead of Orissa to cut short the time spent on road travel. They have also sought permission for PSA oxygen generators for 12 more hospitals in the state, he said. “PM Cares fund got PSA oxygen generators for Gandhi, TIMS, Khammam, Bhadrachalam and Karimnagar which are totally producing 62 lakh litres of oxygen per day from atmospheric air. We have asked to supply 12 more such machines,” he added.

The Minister said that “We are going to set up Government isolation “care centres”. These will be lower degree treating centres for those patients who have stabilized after hospital intervention. This will be done to give support to the needy patients needing hospitalization”.

The state can produce 62 lakh litres of oxygen per day using oxygen generators given to five hospitals under PM Cares Fund, he said. Gandhi Hospital- 28 Lakh Litres, TIMS- 14L Litres, Khammam Govt Hospital – 8.5 L Litres, Karimnagar- 5.5 L Litres, Bhadrachalam- 4.5L Litres.