With a stable decline in the number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has freshly issued new directives to denotify 241 out of the 324 dedicated COVID facilities in the state. As per state reports, only 4 hospitals will remain functional in Lucknow, providing treatment against the viral infection. Besides state capital, only Aligarh, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Meerut will have more than one COVID hospital now. An order issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) informed that regular medical facilities will resume in all denotified hospitals from Wednesday.
Bringing other health facilities to the front foot
With a steep fall in the number of COVID cases in the state, most facilities are lying vacant in the state. As a result, the state has decided to shut COVID-dedicated wards in the majority of such facilities. The move also aims to bring non-COVID health facilities back to the foreground for the benefit of the people. Classes in medical colleges can also be resumed once the premises are thoroughly sanitised.
The district administrations have, however, been asked to inform the denotified hospitals in their respective areas that in case of need, the facilities will have to resume treatment of corona patients after a five-day notice. “Other than the listed hospitals, all other notified hospitals have been denotified. After proper sanitisation, all denotified hospitals will resume the treatment of other patients and classes. As a result of the vaccination drive, the system of active quarantine will end from March 15,” the orders said.
The functional COVID force in Uttar Pradesh
In Lucknow itself, COVID care facilities have been scaled down from 31 to 4, where only Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, KGMU, SGPGI and Command Hospital will provide COVID treatment. The remaining 27 have been declared coronavirus-free. Statistics have revealed that Uttar Pradesh has a total of 4,765 active cases, of which 1,341 asymptomatic patients are in home isolation and 420 are in private hospitals. To ensure medical attention to this lot, about 83 hospitals are functional across all 75 districts, with a total bed capacity of 17,235.
Out of these, as many as 7,023 beds have oxygen supply while 1,342 have ventilators. So far, the state had reserved over 1.51 lakh hospital beds for coronavirus patients’ treatment. The state orders have also notified that Uttar Pradesh now has 15 L-3 hospitals, 68 L-2 hospitals, and nil L-1 hospital. Earlier, there were 324 facilities including, 228 L-1 hospitals, 71 L-2 facilities, and 25 care-centres under in L-3.
