Telangana's apex officers brief central team on corona combat

Hyderabad: An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) sent by the central government to check out the Covid-19 containment efforts being made in Telangana was taken round Hyderabad on Sunday. They were briefed by apex-level officers in the civil and police administrations.

The team, one of several dispatched to different states, will be here for two more days. It is headed by Arun Baroka, an additional secretary in the Ministry of Jal Shakti, meaning water. The other members of the team are Dr Chandra Shekhar Gedam, senior public health specialist, Dr Hemalatha, director, NIN,  S.S. Thakur from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Shekhar Chaturvedi, associate professor, NIDM.

The IMCT was taken on a tour of containment zones and quarantine facilities in the city by top bosses of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), D.S. Lokesh Kumar, Ravi Kiran and Praveenya, Ashok Samarat and by the Hyderabad collector Swetha Mohanty.

At t he Mehdipatnam Rythu Bazaar, the iMCT stopped to ask shopkeepers about sales of essential commodities. The GHMC's Khairatabad zonal commissioner Praveenya told the central team that 120 vans are supplying vegetables and fruits to different parts of the city, all manned by self-help groups (SHGs).

The team met medical staff at the Nature Cure Hospital, and asked about testing kits, quarantine facilities, etc. Collector Mohanty explained the nutritional diet being provided to all quarantined persons at the hospital.

The team later went to the Malakpet containment zone and checked out how emergency services and health teams were operating there. Officials in charge of the zone showed the team tight barricading being enforced to ensure that people stayed within the zone. Civic staff were providing esentials to the people at their doorsteps.

In this containment zone, a fever survey was being conducted everyday, and if any prelim Covid-19 symptoms are detected in a person, the whole containment protocol is being followed.

The IMCT went to the police HQ as well and were briefed by DGP M. Mahendar Reddy, and his senior officers Jitender, Govind Singh, and the commissioners of the Hyderabad, Rachakonda, and Cyberabad police commissionerates.

A PowerPoint presentation was made  of the stringent measures taken to enforce containment in several localities in the state, at Covid hospitals, and at distribution points of groceries and food items.

The police top brass explained the security provided at isolation wards, assistance provided to migrant workers and the elderly, and patients facing ailments related to cardiac and nephrological and to pregnant women.

The team was also briefed about the implementation of lockdown across the state, including registration of cases against violators and seizing of vehicles. On Saturday night, the team had visited Hyderabad city police headquarters at Basheerbagh and also Charminar. They inspected measures taken at containment zones and crowded areas.