KCR: We will not impose lockdown in Telangana

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has clarified that lockdown would not be imposed in the Telangana state. He said the imposition of lockdown would make the life stand still and would lead to total collapse of the financial system. The CM took this decision after examining the situation in the states where the lockdown was imposed and where the positive cases have not come down as well as taking into account the past experiences. The CM spoke to Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi over phone about the supply of the required vaccines, Oxygen and Remdesivir and urged him to supply the same immediately. The CM brought to the notice of the PM that the Oxygen supplies allocated to the state from Sriperambadur and in Tamil Nadu and Bellary in Karnataka have not been supplied so far. Since Hyderabad became a medical Hub, people from the bordering states are also depending on Hyderabad for the medical treatment. The CM explained that since people from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka are coming to Hyderabad for the treatment there is alarming increase of burden on the city. The CM told the PM that there is a 50 per cent more Corona patients than the Telangana people are coming to Hyderabad for treatment it had an adverse impact on the availability of Oxygen, vaccines and injections like the Remdesivir. The CM said as on date there is availability of 440 MT of Oxygen per day and it should be increased 500 MT per day. The availability of Remdesivir is only 4900 and it should be increased to 25000. He said the Centre had so far gave only 50 Lakh doses of vaccine and it should also be increased based on the needs of the state. The CM requested the PM to ensure the supply of 2 to 2.5 Lakh doses of vaccine per day and it should be supplied immediately.

Meanwhile, on the request made by the CM and instructions from the PM, Union Minister Sri Piyush Goyal spoke to the CM. Sri Piyush Goyal assured the CM that all the requests made by the CM would be fulfilled and action would be taken to supply adequate quantities of vaccine, Oxygen and Remdesivir would be supplied to the State. The Union Minister said Oxygen would be supplied from the Eastern states instead of TN and Karnataka states.

The CM held a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan here on Thursday on the situation arising out of the Corona.

The CM made an in-depth review about the Corona situation prevailing in the State. The CM discussed at length on how much Oxygen supply is available and how much is required? Availability of the vaccines, supply of the Remdesivir and how much is required for the state’s needs? Availability of beds with Oxygen etc., The CM spoke to the companies manufacturing the Remdesivir and asked them to increase the supply. He said, as on date there are 9500 beds with Oxygen are available in Government hospitals and wanted 5000 more to be added within a week all over the state. The CM has instructed the CS to make arrangements to airlift 12 Cryogenic tankers from China for the better Oxygen supply at a cost of Rs one crore each. The CM asked the CS to make these arrangements immediately. He said that 5980 Covid outpatient centres are created all over the State in PHCs, Community hospitals and area hospitals and wanted people to utilise the services. The officials informed the CM that in the state, so far 1.56 Lakh positive cases were reported and of this 1.30 Lakh 85 per cent have recovered. The CM instructed the medical health officials to brief media every day evening on the Corona situation. He wanted Director of Health to take this responsibility. The CM also instructed that all the information and data on the number of positive cases, how may recovered, how many are there in the home quarantine, how many are getting treated in the government hospitals, how many are there in the private hospitals etc., on the public domain. The CM wanted that a special officer should be appointed to monitor the measures to contain the virus spread in the state. The CM instructed Principal Secretary (Finance) Sri Ramakrishna Rao to release the funds required for the medical and health department immediately. He also wanted a special officer to be appointed to release the funds. The CM instructed that all those who took the first dose of the vaccine should be given the second dose on priority.

The CM who reviewed the availability of Oxygen had also made attempts to increase its supply. The CM spoke to IICT Director Sri Chandrashekhar over phone and asked him about the measures taken to increase the Oxygen reserves. Based on their suggestions, the CM instructed the medical and health officials to purchase 500 Oxygen enrichers. The CM suggested that more number of enrichers should be added immediately and wanted setting up of system that generated Oxygen in a short time. He wanted officials from the Panchayat Raj, Municipal department to spray Sodium Hypochloride to clean the environment. He wanted public representatives to become the partners in the programme.

Covid medical Kits for every household

The CM urged the people to utilise the Covid Kits supplied by the government. He said the Kits would be provided through Asha workers and ANMs. Along with the medicines, there will be pamphlet on the precautions to be taken for the curtailment of Corona.

The CM did an in-depth analysis on why lockdown should not be imposed in the State.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said,” There is no use imposing lockdown. Since Telangana state is the most happening state in the country, 25 to 30 Lakh workers from other states are here working. We have seen how their lives were adversely impacted by the lockdown we imposed during the first wave. If they are dislocated, they will not come back. Moreover, there is bumper yield of the Paddy in the State. Paddy is stocked in 6144 procurement centres in the state and they are weighing the Paddy. Purchasing Paddy is not a simple process. There is a chain system involved from bottom to the top. There is involvement of the IKP Centre incharges, Hamalis, workers, transport staff, workers at the rice mills, FCI godowns etc., There are lakhs of people involved in the process. What will happen to the workers who came from other states and working in the rice Mills? What will happen to them if there is lockdown? If the workers go helter skelter how would one get them back? If the Paddy is not purchased where will the farmer go? There is a danger of the entire Paddy purchasing process coming to a standstill if the lockdown is imposed. And it may lead to crisis. At the same time, we cannot stop the supply of essential commodities, milk, vegetables, fruits, emergency medical services, deliveries, sanitation and other such emergency and essential services. We are also importing from other states, vaccines, medicines, injections etc., they will be effected if the lockdown is imposed. If the lockdown is imposed, the government will become responsible for creating a panic situation. Hence the government is not ready it impose lockdown. However, we will identify the areas where the cases are more and declare them as Micro level Containment zones and take the required measures,” the CM explained.

The CM also said that if the industries are closed down lakhs of people lose their livelihood and working class like the cab drivers would be in dire situation. Leave aside Corona; the entire economic situation will collapse leading a deep crisis. Hence the government has decided not to impose any lockdown,” the CM said.

The CM also urged people to take part in the fight against the Corona voluntarily. He said only through united efforts by everyone that victory over the Pandemic can be achieved. He wanted intellectuals and other scholars to educate people in this regard. The CM congratulated the medical and health department staff for rendering their services putting their lives at stake. Doctors, Nurses, Asha workers, ANMs and other medical staff are appreciated by the CM for their selfless services. The CM said that the reports suggested the intensity of the second wave of Corna would come down by May 15. He wanted people to take precautionary measures to curtail the virus and they asked them to exercise restrain by themselves. He advised people not to move in crowd, more than 100 should not attend the marriage ceremonies, frequent use of sanitisers, wearing masks and maintaining physical distance should be observed at all times. Such precautions would only prevent the virus spread, the CM said.