UP notifies six private hospitals for dedicated treatment of Covid-19 cases

More hospitals to be brought under this plan, state to add isolation beds to current count of 10,000

The Uttar Pradesh government has started the process of notifying private hospitals as dedicated medical facilities for covid-19 patients.

Private hospitals being notified in the state's smaller towns, which lack big government hospitals, UP medical, health and family welfare principal secretary Amit Mohan Prasad told the media in Lucknow this evening.

“We have already notified six private hospitals for the treatment of covid patients and more will be notified going forward. They would be converted into dedicated Covid-19 hospitals and given five days to vacate and sanitise their premises before we shift the coronavirus patients for treatment,” he added.

While the government has set up 10,000 isolation beds for coronavirus cases, more are being identified with the help of private sector health infrastructure, especially in smaller cities.

The number of coronavirus patients in UP has now touched 410 across 40 districts. Four patients have died while 31 were discharged after treatment. Of total 410 cases, the Tablighi Jammat gathering in Delhi alone accounted for 54 per cent or 221 cases, Prasad added.

Meanwhile, chief minister Adityanath has called for the audit of ventilators in wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the state. He reviewed the law and order situation and solicited the support of the people in reducing the ‘disease load’ before any decision on lifting the lockdown is taken, UP additional chief secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi said.

The number of coronavirus patients in UP has now touched 410 across 40 districts. (Photo -Dalip Kumar)

The UP Police have lodged 12,236 first information reports (FIRs) and booked some 40,000 persons under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defying the lockdown provisions contained in the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

More than 12 million vehicles have been checked and fines totalling Rs 5.61 crore imposed on offenders, Awasthi said.

He added that the state had facilitated the reopening of 4,555 industrials units so far, while 26,644 entities had paid salaries for March amounting to Rs 330 crore during the lockdown.

The government has paid 1.13 million daily wage earners an amount of Rs 1,000 each to compensate for loss of employment. About 580,000 labourers in urban and rural areas had also been paid Rs 1,000 each, Awasthi added.

The state also is ramping up the supply of food items and milk. Yesterday, total milk procurement in UP stood at 4.8 million litres, of which 3.4 million litres was distributed to consumers at their doorsteps by over 18,000 delivery vans, while the rest was used for milk powder.

The government has allowed nearly 21,000 provision stores to make home delivery of domestic consumables. Nearly 2,750 community kitchens have been set up by private and government entities to feed the needy.