Dearth of ventilators, oxygen cylinders adds to Covid-19 agony in Agra

Avoidable delay in Covid-19 testing and filing reports is causing a lot of trouble and resentment among kin of Covid patients in Agra as it hampers treatment on time.

While the number of samples collected so far has crossed 1.5 lakh, the reports are taking four to five days, even as hundreds of people daily queue up for testing at the SN Medical College and the district hospital.

It is not clear why the rapid antigen test reports are also being delayed, victims allege.

The health department officials, however, have denied the charges and assured everyone that they were doing their best in the circumstances.

The private laboratories which were earlier allowed to conduct tests have again been refused permission. People are now entirely dependent on government facilities which in the circumstances are proving inadequate to cope with the rising graph of patients, Covid patients and their relatives complain.

Family members of victims have urged authorities to look into the continuing shortage of oxygen cylinders, ventilators, and beds at the Covid hospitals.

Even though the state government has circulated fee tariffs and testing fees, accusations against the private nursing homes and labs have again peaked.

In the past 24 hours, Agra recorded 109 fresh cases. So far there have been 114 deaths, including one 67-year-old person who died on Sunday. The total number of cases now stands at 4,042. The number of discharged is 3,132 and the number of active cases is 796.

"Since it has been a fairly long time-frame battling Covid-19, the voluntary sector activists who were doing commendable work, are now exhausted and have virtually withdrawn. That leaves people at the mercy of the government sector," said social activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

--IANS

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