Hyderabad: The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has given impetus to the process of upgrading infrastructure and knowledge-base of healthcare workers in handling patients with infectious diseases in government hospitals across Telangana. While the pandemic has undeniably created a lot of distress among people in the short-term, it has also made authorities launch several initiatives which could possibly be beneficial for the State in the long run.

A slew of projects aimed at strengthening infrastructure and manpower in public healthcare systems, being taken-up since March, holds promise of improving the preparedness to fight similar outbreaks in the future. Such measures also have the potential to improve quality of healthcare in government hospitals.

Infectious Diseases departments

The Covid-19 outbreak has clearly highlighted the need to strengthen the Infectious Diseases departments in all government teaching hospitals in the State. Already, efforts are on to recruit specialty doctors in the fields of Tuberculosis (TB) and Pulmonary Diseases, which largely deal with infectious diseases. Such dedicated departments focus on management of infectious diseases caused by weak immunity of the human body. Apart from TB, other infectious diseases include HIV, tropical diseases like malaria, dengue, fevers of unknown origin and infections of fungal and bacterial origin.

Laboratories

The pandemic also hastened the timeline to develop laboratories in the State that can detect viral infections. Developing laboratories does not mean only installing an RT-PCR or a CB NAAT machine as it involves training and establishment of certain safety guidelines and protocols that must be followed all the time in such facilities. All these measures were taken up by the health authorities in the State.

Before the pandemic, Telangana did not have a single laboratory to detect viral infections. Between March and August, the health authorities have managed to establish 17 government laboratories in the State, which now have the ability to conduct diagnostic tests on virus and bacteria in the future.

TIMS

Perhaps the most significant development during the Covid-19 pandemic is the establishment of Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) at Gachibowli and the promise that it holds for providing high-end medical care for patients and Post Graduate medical education in the State. The TIMS has loads of long-term potential, as it has been envisioned to provide super-specialty training which will generate a lot of specialty doctors in government sector. The hospital will also cater to the part of Hyderabad, which was waiting for such a facility for a long time.

ICU beds, oxygen supply and ventilators

Efforts to add more ICU beds, improve oxygen lines for Covid patients and ramping up ventilators also will have a positive long-term impact on government facilities. Recently, to ensure long-term availability of Oxygen, the State government has decided to establish liquid oxygen tanks in MGM Hospital in Warangal, District Hospital, King Koti, Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital, Mehdipatnam, Osmania General Hospital in Afzalgunj, Fever Hospital in Nallakunta, Chest Hospital, Erragadda and TIMS.

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