india

Updated: Apr 27, 2020 22:06 IST

Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a review meeting of the state’s Covid-19 management team on Monday and ordered officials to ensure that adequate arrangements for food and drinking water etc. were made at all quarantine centres and shelter homes in the state.

Earlier on Monday morning, Yogi attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s video conference with all the CMs to review the lockdown situation in the country. “The CM didn’t make any demand at PM’s Modi’s video-conference meeting with all the CMs,” said RK Tiwari, chief secretary.

“UP’s turn to air its views also didn’t come on Monday’s meet,” said Awnish Awasthi, additional chief secretary, home.

Adityanath’s order about the availability of food and drinking water assumes significance after reports appeared about inadequate facilities at some of the quarantine centres and shelter homes in the state. The CM said each quarantine centre and shelter home should have a capacity between 15,000 and 25,000 litres of water.

He said the capacity of dedicated Covid-19 hospitals should be expanded in all the districts. He also ordered that all migrant workers from UP, who are slated to return to the state soon, should be mandatorily quarantined for 14 days at these centres and shelter homes.

He appealed that lockdown should be strictly enforced and those living in hot spots should not venture out under any circumstances. Only healthcare personnel, sanitation workers and home delivery of essential items would be allowed in the hotspots, he added.

He said emergency health services for non-Covid-19 patients should be restored immediately in hospitals. All patients, who are coming to hospitals, must be compulsorily screened, he added.

The CM said most of the state’s private hospitals have been covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and a protocol for Covid-19 and non-Covid hospitals is in the works. “UP is setting up a Covid-19 hospital in all the 52 medical colleges in the state. Those districts that don’t have a medical college should convert its district-level hospital as a Covid-19 facility,” he said.

“An additional chief medical officer-rank officer has been entrusted with the responsibility to train medical officers and paramedical staff. A mobile app is being developed for effective training. Teachers and principals of high schools and intermediate colleges, respectively, will also undergo compulsory training,” he added.

The CM announced that the distribution of food grains to the poor and the needy would restart on the International Labour Day on May 1.