Hyderabad,  Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday directed the Medical and Health Department to set up 48 oxygen generation plants in government hospitals to produce 324 tonnes of oxygen required for Covid patients in the state.

Asking the officials to ensure that there would not be any shortage of oxygen in future, he also instructed the officials to set up an additional plant to produce 100 tonnes of the liquid oxygen in Hyderabad.

At a review meeting on Covid situation, KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, directed that six units of 16 tonne plants, 15 units of eight tonne plants and 27 units of four tonne plants should be set at Hyderabad, district and area hospitals.

KCR, who also hold the Health portfolio, asked the oxygen producers to hand over 11 tankers with each having the capacity of 20 tonnes within 10 days.

He said that in the coming days, Telangana should not face a situation where it is depended on other states for supply of oxygen.

He also appealed to people seeking Covid treatment to get admitted to government hospitals and take advantage of availability of beds, oxygen and free treatment, food, medicines and other facilities, instead of spending huge money in private hospitals.

Since the treatment is one and the same in private and government hospitals, people should prefer the government hospitals, he said, adding that as on Monday, there were 6,926 beds vacant in the government hospitals. Of these, 2,253 were oxygen beds, 533 ICU beds and 4,140 general beds.

KCR also instructed the officials concerned to make arrangments for the equipment and the required medicines in ENT Hospital in Koti, Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad, and medical college hospitals in the districts to treat the black fungus disease that is spreading among treated patients. He said, if need be, 25 Microdebrider machines, and HD Endoscopic cameras be purchased immediately.

He asked the officials to immediately invite global tenders for the supply of the vaccines. He also wanted them to have continuous rapport with the Centre on the vaccination quota.

The officials informed the CM said that so far the state had received 57,30,220 doses of vaccine only and as on date there is a stock of 1,86,780 vaccine doses. Of this, 58,230 are of Covaxin and 1,28,550 doses are of Covishield.

The CM declared that the government is ready to spend any amount funds for improving medical and health infrastructure facilities. A decision has been taken to set up new medical colleges in Sangareddy, Jagtial, Kothagudem, Wanaparthy, Mancherial, and Mahabubabad. He also instructed that along with these medical colleges, colleges of nursing should also be formed.

The CM said in those medical colleges where there are no nursing colleges, they should be sanctioned. He said the proposals already submitted for the nursing colleges sanction should be examined immediately.

He said to give medical treatment facilities and medicines to the poor in the government hospitals, 12 regional sub centres should be formed at Siddipet, Wanaparthy, Mehboobabad, Kothagudem, Nagar Kurnool, Suryapet, Bhongir, Jagtial, Mancherial, Bhoopalpally, Vikarabad, and Gadwal.

To supply medicines on war footing to the several government hospitals from these Centres, vehicles should be arranged either own or on lease. Similarly, to store the medicines, cold storage facilities should be set up at the sub centres.

The CM instructed that the 200-bedded hospitals in Anantagiri in Vikarabad, Singareni, RTC, CISF, Railways, Army and ESI hospitals should be brought in for Covid treatment.