Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s COVID-19 website lists 23 private hospitals across the city with isolation facilities and also there are only 30 COVID-19 testing centers which is not sufficient enough. Only two of these – Thumbay Hospital in Chaderghat and Yashoda Hospitals in Malakpet – are in the Old City.
While the government has listed the Unani Hospital as a free testing center, residents say that too is inadequate.
Hyderabad MP, Asaduddin Owaisi conducted a marathon discussion with AIMIM party GHMC corporators on increasing COVID-19 testing, and instructed all party Corporators to undergo the testing. It encouraged people to do so as well. It also instructed them to get at least 500 people in their respective wards.
Currently, 30 odd centers which include the UPHC (Urban Primary Health Care), Basti Dawakhana, Community Halls have the COVID-19 testing facilities in the southern part of the city.
AIMIM asks for more COVID-19 testing centers in Old City
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) party MLAs asked the Minister for Medical, Health and Family Welfare Eatala Rajender to increase the free corona testing facilities in their respective constituencies.
“The government should increase free COVID testing facilities in additional locations of certain constituencies. They also demanded to increase RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests to 1000 per day for each center,” said the AIMIM.
The government should also conduct antigen test in each Urban Primary Health Care (UPHC), Basti Dawakhana and area hospitals, suggested a delegation of MLAs.
“For additional testing at all Area Basti Bawakhanas under UPHC, in the, Malakpet Constituency, RT-PCR tests should be restarted in Malakpet Area Hospital,” stated Ahmed Balala.
Moreover, other constituencies like Charminar, Yakutpura, Nampally, Karwan, Bahadurpura and Chandrayangutta also needed additional facilities for COVID-19. In Yakutpura, only one center in each ward has been running. Five more are needed.
“Similar testing facilities should be provided in other constituencies to get maximum number of people tested for coronavirus, The Old City has a population of at least 30 lakh. There should be more hospitals and testing centers for a population of this size. The other side of the city has so many private hospitals which are admitting COVID-positive patients, said Abdul Rehman a social activist.