Hyderabad - Private medical college hospitals in Telangana have agreed to provide up to 15,500 beds for treating coronavirus patients in response to a government request for ramping up the capacity to meet any situation.

The 21 colleges together have 15,500 beds, including 1,100 in Intensive Care Units (ICU), and 200 ventilators, and the government has asked them to provide 10,000 beds initially, Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Dr Karunakar Reddy said on Tuesday.

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The government was in constant discussion with all the 21 colleges, affiliated to the university, during the past one month and asked them to provide their hospital infrastructure to accommodate COVID-19 patients in case required from April 10, he told PTI.

We have asked them to provide 10,000 beds initially.

If required, the colleges will provide all the 15,500 beds to the government to treat coronavirus patients.

The state government will provide necessary drugs and disposables, Reddy said. According to the V-C, all the private colleges have put in necessary infrastructure in place.

A senior state government official said these colleges and hospitals have been instructed not to grant leaves to junior doctors, faculty and other staff.

Telangana has 364 coronavirus confirmed cases out of which 11 had died while 45 discharged after recovery.

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