T'gana in talks with hotels to house doctors on COVID-19 war

Hyderabad, Apr 20 (): As a precautionary measurefor doctors and nurses involved in COVID-19 treatment, theTelangana government is mulling keeping them in privatehotels at states expenses in case the situation so demands,a senior official said on Monday.

Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar has issued ordersappointing a committee comprising three senior IAS officers-Neetu Kumari Prasad, Raghunandan Rao and Lokesh Kumar- towork out details such as number of hotel Srooms required,tariff and facilities required.

This is being done as a precautionary measure in caseof relentlessness of the virus spread. The government is ofthe opinion that doctors and nurses as frontline personneltreating coronavirus patients need to be put in a safeenvironment, the official told .

"We are preparing a contingency plan.If such asituation arises where we will have a large number ofpatients, we do not want healthcare people to go home asthere will be a risk to their families, the official said.

The committee, which has already shortlisted someplaces to keep the doctors and other paramedical staff, isnegotiating with the managements of the hotels, the officialadded.

When contacted, Neetu Kumari Prasad refused to sharethe details saying, The report is yet to be submitted to thegovernment.

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments have alreadyannounced that doctors and other staff treating COVID-19patients would be kept in five-star hotels. GDK http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpgNVG NVG