Telangana state blocks entry of Covid patients from Andhra

Hyderabad/Amaravati: The closure of borders between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has led to immense problems for the Covid-19 patients who wanted to seek admission in Hyderabad hospitals. Alleging police high handedness, some ambulances had to go back to Vijayawada.

The Telangana police at Suryapet denied permission to some ambulances from Andhra Pradesh stating they would allow Covid patients only if they can show proof that beds were allotted to them in Hyderabad hospitals. Covid patients travelling from Kurnool to Hyderabad also encountered the similar experience.

The police says that they were insisting on admission confirmation as the hospitals in Hyderabad were flooded with corona patients. The Telangana government has put a ban on the free movement of critically-ill Covid -19 victims from the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The TS government's decision not to permit patients from Andhra to Hyderabad drew strong criticism from AP leaders. They pointed out that since Hyderabad is the joint capital of the two Telugu states of AP and Telangana, the restrictions on the movement of AP patients was not justifiable. Moreover, most of these people have their children working in Hyderabad, they said.

All the police forces deployed at the AP-Telangana border at Kodad in Nalgonda district and between Kurnool and old Mahbubnagar districts have been asked to stop the movement of ambulances carrying corona patients immediately. The officials were asked to permit only those patients who have already got required medical facility to undergo treatment in any Hyderabad hospital.

"The seriously sick patients arriving from the neighboring states would have to seek prior appointment and bed allotment from the hospitals. Officials said that the medical and police officials at the border check-posts were verifying every medical document of the patients and also consulting the hospital managements to check whether they are provided bed and oxygen facility before the patient reaches the hospital.

The ambulances will be allowed to move only when the hospital authorities confirm admitting the sick person as In Patient (IP) in the particular hospital. But the attendants of patients say that this was inhuman acct as they would be losing precious time.

On the instructions of the State government, officials said the Medical and Health department was analysing the availability of real time bed facility for critically ill corona patients through online.

The inflow of patients from the neighbouring states and districts had put very heavy pressure on the hospitals in Hyderabad. Out of 60,000 beds, nearly 40 per cent of them were dedicated for the patients suffering from low oxygen level. The occupancy ratio of oxygen beds was already above 90 per cent in private hospitals.

Officials said that the government was finding it difficult to provide beds to the patients from Telangana. The restrictions on permitting patients from other States would continue until the hospitals in Hyderabad are free.

Stating that Hyderabad is the joint capital of the two Telugu states till 2024, Jaggayyapet MLA and YSR Congress Party leader Uday Bhanu found fault with TS Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for denying treatment for Covid patients from AP in Hyderabad.