Opposition parties in Telangana have criticised the state government for failing to issue frequent and detailed medical bulletins as its tackles the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Health Minister Eatala Rajender held a press meet on Friday, the Telangana government did not release a single medical bulletin. These bulletins are a crucial source of information for journalists and the public as it gives details regarding the number of cases detected each day, the details of patients, total number of cases in the state, and actions taken by the state government.
After Thursday night, the next bulletin was issued only on Saturday night. That too had very limited information.
A medical bulletin from #Telangana after 48 hours. Last official bulletin was on Thursday night. Eight #COVID19 cases reported today. Total at 67 (65 active). No further details. pic.twitter.com/uKEGh5jCh3
— Nitin B (@NitinBGoode) March 28, 2020
K Krishna Saagar Rao, chief spokesperson for the Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said, “If the state government doesn’t release official health bulletins, it gives scope for fake news propaganda by miscreants and creates confusion amongst the general public.”
“BJP wishes that the state government and Health Ministry resume its daily health updates and bulletins on current status of coronavirus in Telangana,” the statement added.
The Telangana government has only been issuing one bulletin each night, or two bulletins on some days. This, despite other states releasing bulletins once in the morning and once in the evening.
Unlike other states, the government has also not been releasing route maps. The route maps outline details of the patient’s travel history, highlighting crowded places that they may have visited like bus stops, malls, restaurants, etc. This in turn allows those who may have come in contact with the patient to come forward and get tested.
However, out of the 67 cases reported in Telangana, route maps were released only for two patients.
Speaking to TNM, Syed Nizamuddin, spokesperson for the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), said, “There is a lack of transparency. The government should release more information, especially route maps. This allows others to crosscheck if they were at the same place as the patients and either stay in home isolation or go for a check-up if they show any symptoms.”
“This will also help as more people will come forward to get tested and it will curb the spread,” he added.
Pointing out that the lack of information was also creating panic among people as they are unsure of what is happening, Nizamuddin said, “As a result the police and other authorities are being compelled to use physical force to make sure people stay indoors.”
“This has also resulted in a lot of fake news circulating. The government will need to unnecessarily spend additional time and resources to combat that on the side when it is already tackling a pandemic. It is the government’s duty to make sure that proper information is released,” he added.
Meanwhile, Telangana reported its first death due to coronavirus on Saturday while eight more persons tested positive, taking the total number of cases in the state to 67.
A 74-year-old man from Hyderabad became the first person to die of COVID-19 in the state. The man, who had recently returned from New Delhi, died at a private hospital but examination of his body later showed he was positive for coronavirus.
The authorities said that the man, along with his family members, had also visited the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi. All his family members are presently isolated.
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