Test door-to-door; Don’t let Lko go on backfoot: Yogi
LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday asked doctors to prepare a long-term strategy to face the coronavirus pandemic so that the ‘common man’ was not denied treatment and admission in hospitals. He also spoke about the need for door-to-door tests and exhorted medical professionals to ensure that Lucknow, on which the government spends the maximum revenue, did not go on the backfoot. The state capital has been witnessing a surge in Covid cases for the last two months.
He made these remarks after dedicating a 320-bed Covid hospital on King George’s Medical University (KGMU) campus on Monday evening.
“There is no reason to test people walking on the street, but do door-to-door tests and confirm positivity by RT-PCR. Increase contract tracing and test each suspect,” he said.
In its revised testing advisory to states, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has paved the way for walk-in tests and indicated a doctor’s prescription will no longer be required for people to get a Covid-19 test.
Commenting on the overall scenario, Yogi said, “UP has seen challenges since the start (of the pandemic). We stopped the infection spread due to the Tablighi Jamat and indecency was dealt with strictness. Till we escape this virus, we have to face it. Adopt caution and face it at every level and we will win.”
Earlier in the day, chief minister inaugurated a 300-bed Covid hospital, the state’s first BSL-3 (bio safety level 3) laboratory, a 100-bed post graduate hostel and guest house at Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur. (See also Page 3).
At the KGMU event, he stressed on the medical needs of the common man.
“I had spoken on June 15/16 about starting Covid centres and OPDs. Many have started and others are yet to do so. We need to give facilities (to nonCovid patients). That’s why I am going to all the Covid hospitals and inaugurating them personally, and not virtually, so that teams work and are not afraid. Allow people to regain trust in government services,” he said.
He asked KGMU, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) and Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
(SGPGIMS) to have 1000-bed Covid facilities, along with nonCovid medical facilities and run virtual ICUs. The CM said work should be done to convert isolation beds into ICU beds.
The new facility at KGMU is the fourth dedicated Covid hospital in the state after the ones in Noida, Gonda and Gorakhpur. The CM said that despite a new Covid hospital, the one which was already running on the KGMU campus will continue.
“I sat for two-and-half-hours each day discussing the Covid situation and the scenario of each hospital threadbare. The reason for each death is before me. Don’t allow the common man to suffer,” he said.
Focusing on Lucknow, the chief minister said the state capital had a big challenge. The government and the private sector should come together and accept that challenge, he said.
“The government spends the maximum on Lucknow and if someone wants to come to the state capital for treatment, we cannot stop them. Don’t allow Lucknow to be on the backfoot,” he said.
He asked doctors to prepare in such a way that no one was denied treatment.
“The word ‘no’ should not come from anywhere. Be prepared for situations as even after the vaccine arrives, the virus might change which will be an alarm bell. But don’t make Covid a (cause of) panic, instead counsel people to fight one of the weakest viruses with caution,” he said.
The dedicated 320-bed hospital has 100 ICU beds, including six neonatal and six paediatric ICUs. It also has operating theatres for Covid patients. Admissions here will start from Wednesday morning.
Medical education minister Suresh Khanna, law minister Brajesh Pathak and additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi were also present at the KGMU event.