Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed the authorities to increase the number of dedicated Covid Hospitals in Lucknow, and prepare King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and Balrampur Hospital as designated Covid Hospitals. According to a statement released by the state government, additional beds should be provided in these hospitals in the next two days.

The TS Mishra Hospital, Integral and Hind Medical Colleges in Lucknow also need to be expanded as dedicated Covid Hospitals, it added. The announcement came along with a claim that there will neither be any shortage of essential medicines in any district of the state, nor will there be lack of beds for Covid and non-Covid patients. The claim, however, is in stark contrast with the scenes across hospitals, mainly in state capital Lucknow. For the last three days, The Indian Express found Covid patients and their attendants running from pillar to post in search of beds.

At the King George’s Medical University, reportedly the biggest Covid treatment facility in the state, several hospital staff claimed that there was scarcity of beds, which compelled most of the patients to wait for days to get a one. “In absence of sufficient number of beds, officials have been given clear instruction that whoever tests positive for coronavirus should be kept in home isolation, or be sent to any other medical facility,” a KGMU official at the registration counter of the university’s Trauma Centre said on condition of anonymity. He confirmed that for the last couple of days, over 50 patients wait in line to get a hospital bed continually.

A similar situation is also witnessed at the Civil Hospital and the RML Hospital in Lucknow. Earlier, taking a serious view of the reluctance and dilly-dallying of certain hospitals in admitting Covid patients in the state, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered that a case under the Pandemic Act will be registered against those who turn away patients sent on recommendations of district magistrates and chief medical officers. The Medical Education Department has issued orders in this regard to all the commissioners, DMs and CMOs of the state.

Principal Secretary, Medical Education, Alok Kumar said protecting the lives of people infected with coronavirus is the government’s top priority and any negligence, or dilly-dallying on the part of hospital administrations in treating patients would not be tolerated under any circumstances.

“Arrival of patients from other districts in the state capital Lucknow is completely natural. So, there is a need to make additional arrangements here. In such a situation, KGMU and Balrampur Hospital should be prepared as dedicated Covid Hospital,” the CM said, instructing the officials to conduct this work in a phased manner. The non-Covid patients are also to be taken care of, so that no inconvenience is caused to them,” said the chief minister who had tested positive for coronavirus Wednesday and has isolated himself.

“The authorities are to keep a check on the availability of Remdesivir and oxygen for the treatment of Covid patients. Review should be done daily from the office of the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister. We must ensure that adequate availability of Covid beds, medicines, medical equipment and oxygen is maintained in every district. The ministers in charge should review their respective districts every day. Along with this, rapid action should be taken to increase the number of beds in the hospitals. Arrangement of medical staff and medical resources in Covid hospitals should be made on priority,” he added.

Asked about the fresh directives, authorities at the KGMU confirmed that they will be effective from Monday till further orders. “Subsequent to the government order of declaring KGMU a Covid facility, all non-Covid emergencies, except Cardiology and Obstetrics, will be diverted to other government hospitals in Lucknow. This directive will be effective from Monday till further orders,” said KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh in a statement. He later confirmed The Indian Express that at present KGMU has 520 Covid beds, and the number is expected to go up to 3,000 from Monday. A statement issued by the state government claimed to have increased the number of Covid beds by 1,121 in Lucknow in the last 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, calling upon the people of the state to maintain solidarity to fight the Covid-19 surge, the CM assured that the state was successful in fighting the first wave of Covid-19 and similarly, this time the second wave will also be controlled soon. Out of the 1,29,848 active cases in the state at present, 66,528 patients, or more than 51 per cent, are in home isolation and 2,012 are getting treatment at private hospitals.

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