Can't deny admission to Covid patients if beds are available: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday issued directions to officers

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed officers to ensure that no government or private hospital denies admission to COVID-19 patients if beds are available at these hospitals.

He further said that if a bed is not available in the government hospital, the patient should be sent to a private hospital.

"If the patient referred by a government hospital is not able to bear the expenses of the private hospital, the state government will bear their treatment cost as per the rates approved under the Ayushman Bharat scheme," said an official release.

The government also said that the medical kit will be provided to patients under home isolation in which the medicines will be available for seven days.

"The government has asked all hospitals with 100 beds or more to set up their own oxygen plants. This would reduce their dependence on liquid oxygen to a great extent," it said.

It further said that 50 per cent of the 108 ambulance services will be used for COVID-19 work so that patients do not face any problems.

Earlier on Sunday, the Chief Minister ordered that no fees will be charged for cremating people who die due to COVID-19.

The UP government has also ordered to provide masks to the poorer section of the state, free of cost.

The state government has fixed rates for COVID testing and treatment. If any complaints are registered against hospitals for charging more fees, strict action will be taken against them under the Epidemic Act, read the new guideline.

The government statement also mentioned that the COVID hospitals have been ordered to publicly announce the number of vacant beds twice during the day.The COVID-19 infected patients, who are in home isolation, will be provided with a COVID kit which shall include medicines for seven days, declared the UP government.

Remdesivir injections will be provided free of cost to COVID-19 patients at government hospitals, it stated.

Uttar Pradesh currently has 2,97,616 active COVID-19 cases.