UP Needs More Testing For COVID-19, Says Public Health Activist

Lucknow: The total number of confirmed novel coronavirus or COVID-19 cases climbed to 657 in Uttar Pradesh, as per data disclosed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday. At least five people have died in the state so far due to the pandemic.

Interacting with media persons on Tuesday, Joint Director-cum-State Surveillance Officer,Vikasendu Agrawal, of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said: "A total of 657 corona-positive cases have been reported across the state. Till now, the state has reported five deaths -- one each in Meerut, Bulandshahr, Agra, Varanasi and Basti.

It may be noted that on Monday, 75 persons tested positive for coronavirus in Uttar Pradesh, taking the total in the state to 558 and in one day.

Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Awanish Awasthi said 80 to 85% cases were reported from identified hot spots.

Meanwhile, with an addition of 39 new cases, Agra has recorded the highest single-day hike in the number of corona patients and emerged as the epic centre of the COVIDI-19 outbreak in Uttar Pradesh. The total number of cases in the district is now 142.

The highest number of cases have reported from Agra 83, following by GautamBudh Nagar 65, Meerut 38, Lucknow 29 while Ghaziabad touched 25.

‘NO PACKAGE FOR POOR, MIGRANTS’

On Tuesday, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3, several activists based in Uttar Pradesh, who are distributing ration among migrants and poor people, slammed the government, saying that the poor had once again been left to fend for themselves. They said the PM should have announced serious relief measures for those who cannot make both ends meet.

Sunita Sahyog, a member of Sahyog and Health Watch Forum based in Lucknow said: "It was expected that lockdown will be extended till April 30, we were expecting a relief package for poor people or those stranded due to the lockdown. He (PM) did not make any announcement about any livelihood package for people, daily wagers, migrants workers, all those who have lost their jobs and earnings in unorganised sectors. Till now, NGOs and individuals are managing and distributing rations, but it would be very difficult to sustain in the coming days.

Sahyog claimed that a starvation-like situation had emerged across pockets of extremely poor people in the state, even in urban slums.  “People are not allowed to go out because of physical distancing. Besides this, biometrics is another issue to get rations. The government has ensured ration of 5kg per person to priority ration card and 25kg among one family to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries but even these people are not getting enough rations, leave alone cardholders. This is creating panic among poor people," she told NewsClick.

Dipa Sinha, assistant professor at BR Ambedkar University in Delhi and member of the Right to Food Campaign (RTFC), said that the government should ensure universal Public Distribution System (PDS)  for all with/without ration cards immediately otherwise the situation in coming 20 days would be a disaster for poor and migrants.

"Also, PM Modi assured the people that India has adequate stock of medicines and ration, but he did not announce any concrete roadmap how these essential commodities and ration will reach to them. Since 21 days, a large number of migrants are stranded across the state, but it was very disappointing that PM did not say anything for them," she said.

Several activists said Modi could have announced a package on behalf of the Centre to help the poor and those working in in the unorganised sector ,who are the worst hit due to the lockdown.

Poor Health Facility

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting huge pressure on the already-fragile healthcare system. Poor planning and a lack of personal protective equipment are exacerbating the challenge.

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state has one COVID-19 testing centre per 77 million people, according to statistics shared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Speaking on health facilities in the state, NafisFaizi, assistant professor of Community Medicine, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University and an active member of the People’s Health Movement, said hospitals in UP were in a critical condition --  there is shortage of doctors,  no private hospital is operating and patients have no place to go. "The lockdown extension will only create panic among poor people rather than control the pandemic," he added.

In Lucknow, the King George''s Medical University (KGMU) is the biggest hub for corona testing and treatment in the state. KGMU spokesperson Dr Sudhir Singh told NewsClick that as of now there was no vaccine and medicine for the pandemic. "As of now only five patients are in isolation ward and we are monitoring them properly."

Another doctor of KGMU told NewsClick,wishing anonymity, that"No doubt lockdown was necessary but the testing system is still poor in the state as per population. The government should make the testing system rapid and orderly. Only higher testing can give us the correct picture."

Meanwhile, according to an IANS report, at least 65 staffers, including 13 resident doctors, of the KGMU trauma centre were sent on institutional quarantine after a 64-year-old patient they were treating was tested positive for coronavirus.

According to the report, the patient, who was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, has been shifted to the coronavirus ward and kept on a ventilator. The casualty and medicine wards have been sanitized.

The IANS report further said that the Lucknow Chief Medical Officer NarendracAgarwal had issued letters to private sector Medwell Hospital and Charak Diagnostic Centre, ordering that these be shut immediately as the patient had visited them. Bothe the facilities have been asked to provide a full list of their staff, and a separate list of doctors and paramedics that attended the patient.