UP CM Yogi Adityanath visits a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Lucknow.
The Yogi Adityanath government on Sunday announced that it will now bear the cost of treatment of Covid patients even in private hospitals. Additional Chief Secretary, Information, Navneet Sehgal said that hospitals have been asked not to turn away patients.
"In case there are no beds available in government hospitals, the patients will be sent to a private hospital and the state government will bear the entire cost of treatment," he said.
According to a government release, the last rites of every Covid casualty will be done as per the religion of the patient and the state government will bear the cost.
Directives in this regard have been sent to officials in rural and urban areas in the state.
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Meanwhile, amid oxygen shortage in the country, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the state government will conduct an audit of the life-saving gas, oxygen, in collaboration with various institutes.
"There is no shortage of oxygen in any Covid hospital, be it private or government. The problem is black marketing and hoarding, which will be tackled with a heavy hand. We are going to conduct an oxygen audit in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, IIM Lucknow and IIT BHU for proper monitoring of medical oxygen. The system of live tracking of oxygen demand, supply and distribution will be implemented," the chief minister said in a virtual meeting with editors of various newspapers on Saturday evening.
The chief minister has also launched a digital platform for monitoring oxygen supply. Asserting that there is no shortage of oxygen in any private or public Covid hospital in Uttar Pradesh, he urged people not to let their guard down against Corona virus.
Yogi Adityanath also said that oxygen is not in short supply, provided only the needy use it.
(With IANS inputs)
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