LUCKNOW: After a review of the COVID-19 situation across 11 UP districts with a heavy virus load by special teams of senior administrative officers and medical experts following UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s directives, the state government has decided to double the number of beds in COVID hospitals in western UP districts, especially NCR, where cases are rising.
Notably, NCR has seen a recent surge in cases of COVID-19. While Gautam Buddh Nagar has breached the 1000 mark with 1153 cases, Ghaziabad has registered 706 cases so far. The toll in the two districts has been 13 and 26 respectively.
The special teams reviewed the situation on Monday and Tuesday following which it has also been decided to strengthen the ventilators and oxygen support system in hospitals located in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The district magistrates (DMs) and chief medical officers (CMOs) of Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Ghaziabad, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Hapur and Baghpat have been directed to double the beds at level 1, level 2 and level 3 grade COVID hospitals, said a state government official.
Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Meerut, Agra, Moradabad, Aligarh, Firozabad, Kanpur, Jhansi and Basti are 11 districts with a high load of the virus since June 1, the day government ordered Unlock-1.
As per the review teams’ feedback, the state government has asked the respective district administrations to enforce the COVID guidelines more effectively and make the masses aware of the relevance of social distancing, covering of face with mask and washing of hands at regular intervals.
The health teams, ASHA workers, ANMs and other staff working in the field require regular orientation on tracking people with COVID symptoms, alerting the district health department, collection of samples, admission of suspected patients in the isolation wards and protection of medical and paramedical staff posted in the hospital from infection.
Meanehile, the review teams, comprising doctors of KGMU and SGPGIMS along with medical officers of additional director rank, have been directed to stay in the sensitive districts for five days to review all the aspects of the fight against the virus. The teams have been asked to submit their reports on a daily basis to the state government underlining the lacunae in the health facilities
so that corrective measures could be taken immediately.
On the basis of the teams’ report, the state government also ordered posting anaesthesiologists in the hospitals equipped with ventilators. As per the state health authorities, anaesthesiologists posted at various COVID hospitals have been directed to check that all ventilators – a total of 1466 in the state -- are operational.
Meanwhile, the number of hotspots in the state has increased from 450 in mid-May to 2,406 till June 16.