Congress party’s Telangana unit president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday demanded that the state government include treatment of Covid-19 under Arogyasri, the health insurance scheme for the poor.

Reddy, who has been infected by Covid-19, posted a video message on Twitter from the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

He said the government should not forget its responsibility to take care of the people who are suffering due to the pandemic and lack of beds, oxygen and medicines.

“I am deeply pained that lakhs of my brothers and sisters suffering from Covid-19 have been abandoned and rendered helpless due to the apathy of the government,” said Reddy.

The Congress leader said he was receiving phone calls from many people who are unable to get beds in hospital and are facing shortage of oxygen and Remdisivir.

He stated that a control room set up by the party’s state unit under the directions of AICC incharge Manickam Tagore is actively coming to the aid of Covid-19 patients in Telangana. “We shall do our best to assist our citizens & overcome this second wave,” he tweeted.

“I thank doctors, nurses, frontline health & sanitation workers who have been working in grueling conditions to save lives of Covid-19 patients. Special mention to the Congress party volunteers who are tirelessly helping patients & their families. We shall win this together.”

The MP thanked party workers and well wisher who sent their good wishes to him. He hoped that he would be out of the hospital in 2 or 3 days.

Reddy had tweeted on April 24 that pneumonia caused by Covid was detected when he got a CT lung scan done. He advised people who have been in contact with him to get tested. “Both rapid & RT PCR tests failed to detect Covid in my case. Urge you to go for lung CT scan if symptoms persist despite negative RTPCR/Rapid antigen tests.”