A delegation of the Telangana Congress on its way to express solidarity with Gandhi Hospital junior doctors’ protest over Tuesday’s attack were picked up midway by police at Begumpet.
The delegation consisting of TPCC treasurer Gudur Narayan Reddy, former MP Konda Vishweshwer Reddy and TPCC general secretary Bollu Kishan were arrested even as they raised objection to the arrest made “for no reason”.
The leaders argued over not being allowed to go to Gandhi Hospital, but the police dug in their heels. They severely criticised the arrest and said the government should concentrate more on providing protection to the doctors on strike rather then focussing its energies to suppress the voice of the Opposition.
Mr. Narayan Reddy said the assault on doctors was in fact an attack on the State government which failed to provide required facilities to the patients. He pointed out that a doctor was attacked by angry attendants of a patient only a day after Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao claimed there was no pressure on doctors at Gandhi Hospital with only 247 patients admitted as against its capacity of 2,000 beds.
The TPCC treasurer added there was a contradiction in the claims being made by the Chief Minister and the ground reality. He also alleged that the Standard Operating Procedures of World Health Organisation, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Union Health Ministry were not being followed in dealing with COVID-19 cases.
Despite the direction of the High Court and wide criticism from all circles, he said the State government was not conducting adequate COVID-19 tests and limited the number to just 150-200 a day. Also, it was neither utilising its testing facilities to the optimum level nor allowing the ICMR-approved private labs to conduct COVID tests.
CPI(M) demand
The CPI(M) State committee has demanded that the State Government take steps to resolve the concerns raised by junior doctors of Gandhi Hospital.
CPI(M) State secretary T. Veerabhadram termed the attack on doctors, engaged in treating COVID-19 patients, as unwarranted and said such developments would adversely impact their functioning.
He alleged that the latest attack on the medical personnel working round the clock to treat COVID patients reflected the government’s negligent attitude towards their security.
This could be seen from the fact that the attack on the doctor came after the government assured full protection to healthcare professionals, he said and demanded that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao intervene in the matter.
‘Test all journalists’
Congress MP A. Revanth Reddy has demanded that the State government conduct COVID-19 tests on all journalists who are putting their lives at risk to do their duty, and pay ₹10,000 per month to each journalist during this crisis.
In a letter to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao here, he said the death of 33-year-old journalist D. Manoj Kumar due to COVID-19 reflects the dangers of the job even as he demanded ₹50 lakh compensation to the bereaved family.