Hyderabad, Aug 11 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to focus on ramping up medical infrastructure in the country by drawing on the lessons from the country's experience in dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.

Rao expressed his opinion during a video conference held by the Prime Minister with chief ministers and representatives of 10 states on the pandemic situation.

Briefing the PM on the COVID-19 situation in the state, the chief minister said the Corona virus spread has reminded everyone about the need to improve medical infrastructure in the country.

"Corona experience has taught us a lesson that there is an urgent need to step up the medical facilities in the country. A visionary outlook and thinking is necessary to take proper and adequate measures in the medical sector for a better future. Strategic planning should be done to create comprehensive medical facilities in the country. Both the Centre and state should jointly implement this comprehensive strategy," said KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known.

"We never had any Covid-19 like experience in the past. We do not know how many days this pandemic will last. While dealing with the existing situation, we must focus on how we are going to deal with such a situation if it arises in the future and how are we going to offer better medical facilities to people if the need arises. We have to initiate measures now so that whenever an emergency medical situation develops, we will be able to face it efficiently. In the past too, we have seen emergence of several viruses, and there is every possibility that a Corona-like virus may come up again in the future," he said.

The chief minister called for taking measures to face any eventuality in the future. "We have to think about what should be the ideal Doctor to people ratio? How many new medical colleges we need? We have to consult institutions like the Indian Medical Association (IMA), take proper advice and plan measures. The medical sector should be prepared to face the threat of Corona like viruses in the future. The PM should take the initiative in this regard. The Centre and States should jointly work to create better medical facilities in the country."

Explaining the measures taken by the state government, the chief minister informed the the PM that the recovery rate in the state is 71 per cent while the death rate is 0.7 per cent. He said the state increased the number of tests many fold and was giving better treatment to Corona affected patients.

KCR said Telangana had kept adequate number of beds, medicines, staff and other equipment ready and was diligently following the guidelines issued from time to time by the ICMR, Niti Aayog and the Central government.