Hyderabad, Jun 9 (IANS): As many as 153 healthcare professionals in Telangana have tested positive for COVID-19, the state government said on Monday.

None of the affected is in critical condition and they are all recovering.

This was stated by officials during a meeting convened by chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao to review the COVID situation.

They alleged that some people are trying to demoralise the healthcare personnel by stating that doctors and other medical staff were getting affected by COVID-19.

The government said healthcare personnel across the world were getting affected while treating Covid-19 patients and this was not happening only in Telangana. It pointed out that 480 healthcare professionals in AIIMS Delhi were infected.

Health department officials and experts said that the government hospitals have the capacity to treat any number of COVID patients. They said the government was ready with infrastructure and equipment to treat COVID patients.

The meeting observed that some individuals and media houses were running a false campaign creating confusion among people.

They expressed a doubt that there may be some conspiracy behind this malicious propaganda. They clarified that in Gandhi Hospital where there is a capacity to treat more than 2,000 patients, only 247 COVID patients are there. Some vested interests are spreading rumours that the Gandhi Hospital is overflowing with the COVID patients.

They said since some people have filed the PILs in the court, they were made to make rounds around the court and it was creating problems for them to offer medical services to the needy. They said it was not possible to conduct COVID tests on all those who died and the High Court's direction in this regard cannot be implemented. They urged the state government to appeal in the Supreme Court.

The CM clarified that every individual should be cautious and should not worry unnecessarily about the coronavirus. He said there are no symptoms to many people who have the Corona, but a small number of those who are having other diseases are falling seriously sick. The government is taking all measures to contain the virus. But yet at the same time, people should follow personal hygiene, take the necessary precautions. The CM declared that even if the coronavirus cases are large in number, the government is ready to offer the treatment. He said according to ICMR guidelines, those patients who are in serious condition were treated in the hospitals, those asymptomatic patients are treated at home, the CM said.

Meanwhile, Telangana on Monday reported 92 Covid-19 positive cases, taking the state's tally to 3,742. With five more fatalities, the death toll rose to 142.