Covid-19: UP says no to 'substandard' PPE kits being supplied to doctors

The PPE kits were procured last year to protect against H1N1 infection

With reports suggesting that 'substandard' personal protection equipment (PPE) kits were being provided to doctors battling the coronavirus (Covid-19) menace in Uttar Pradesh, the state government on Friday decided against using these kits.

According to UP additional chief secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi, the government had taken note of the suggestions offered by doctors and medical experts against using these PPE kits for protection against pandemic coronavirus.

These kits were procured last year and cost Rs 115 apiece compared to the prevailing price of coronavirus PPE kits at more than Rs 1,000, he informed. “The chief minister has instructed the state medical and medical education department to take the necessary action in this regard.”

Meanwhile, UP medical, health and family welfare principal secretary Amit Mohan Prasad said these PPE kits were procured in October-November last year for protecting people against H1N1.

“The kits approved by a committee of doctors and had conformed to all the standard parameters before being procured. Besides, they were priced at only 10 per cent of the price being charged today by the companies supplying the new PPE kits,” he said implying the past procurement process was transparent and there was no wrongdoing as suggested in some media reports.

The PPE kits were procured by state utility UP Medical Supply Corporation Limited for supplying to the various government run hospitals and medical colleges for use by the medical staff.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus positive cases in UP has risen to 846 across 49 districts, of which 74 patients have been discharged after successfully recovering from the disease.

Three districts viz. Pilibhit, Maharajganj and Hathras have become coronavirus free after all the positive cases reported there were cured. “However, the local authorities have been advised not to lower the guard and continue the process of sample testing to preempt any new cases,” Prasad added.

The Adityanath government is gradually ramping up the number of daily sample testing, which has touched the level of nearly 3,000 from roughly 150 few weeks back.

“We have started ‘pool testing’ of samples in Agra, Lucknow, Gonda, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit and Hardoi districts. Yesterday, 290 samples were tested in 58 pools, of which only three pools came out to be positive,” he added.

The state has also urged suspected cases of coronavirus to come forward for testing to contain any spread of the disease, and warned penal action would be taken if any deliberate attempt is taken to hide such instances.

The government is reopening emergency services in the public and private hospitals, while boosting up telemedicine to serve the people.

Meanwhile, the UP Police have lodged 20,453 FIRs against 62,811 persons under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defying the lockdown orders pertaining to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.