CENTRE ASKS U.P., CHHATTISGARH TO INCREASE BEDS, RAMP UP TESTING

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Friday advised Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to increase the number of beds for Covid-19 patients in the states as the two states continued to report a high number of cases.

At a review meeting, chaired by Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Indian Council of Medical Research director Dr Balram Bhargava recommended ramping of testing facilities in the districts with a positivity rate of over 5%.

“The reported shortage of hospital infrastructure...were discussed in comprehensive detail, requiring an urgent ramping up of hospital infrastructure. The states were advised to increase the number of isolation beds, oxygen beds, ventilators/ ICU beds, ambulance fleet as per requirement; plan for adequate oxygen supply; and focus on mortality reduction by early identification of positive cases and adherence to national treatment protocol,” an official statement said.

After Maharashtra, which has 638,034 active cases, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh have reported over 100,000 active cases each. On Friday, Chhattisgarh reported 14,912 fresh infections, and UP 27,360 new infections.

“Health ministry is informing states every day in the morning of the day’s supply of Covid-19 vaccines, to enable better planning for optimum utilisation of the vaccines. An augmented health workforce would be needed in the coming days for contact tracing and house-tohouse survey for the symptomatic patients,” the statement added.