It is not just the shortage of medical equipment, the government hospitals seem to be grossly understaffed as the government combats Covid-19.

As the number of positive cases in AP rose to 572 with 38 fresh cases reported in last 24 hours, the state government has suddenly woke up to the fact that it needs to beef up medical staff in its hospitals and decided to deploy more frontline warriors to fight the battle against Covid-19.

On Friday, the government had issued a notification to recruit doctors including 192 anaesthetists, 400 general physicians and pulmonologists. Interested candidates have to send their applications by April 19. It had also issued a notification for special recruitment of assistant professors and general duty medical officers on a one-year contract basis to work in Covid hospitals in the State. The government did not specify the number of assistant professors and general duty medical officers posts available.

Further, the government also asked the Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to come to the fore in meeting shortfall in masks. Experts are criticizing the state government for waking up so late in seeking the help of SHGs when the groups across the country are working furiously to make up the shortfall of masks and personal protective equipment (PPEs). A decision to this effect was taken by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy at a high-level meeting attended by Alla Nan, Jawaharreddy, Botsa Satyanaraya, DGP Gautam Sawang. According to some reports, more than 16,000 SHGs across the country so far made more than 20 million masks apart from lakhs of liters of sanitzers and hand wash. In Andhra Pradesh alone, there are more than 6,52,541 Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the Velugu in rural and urban areas in Andhra Pradesh. During the TDP regime, Chandrababu Naidu has immensely encouraged the SHGs in various activities including in the start-up space.