UP studying other state models for online info on COVID resource availability

The Uttar Pradesh government is looking into models of other states to make COVID-19 resources like hospital beds and medicines easily available to patients in the state, and has also set up integrated command and control centre in each district to provide information regarding the resources, a senior official said on Friday.

UP Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal told PTI that the state government is giving out Remdesivir for free to both government and private hospitals but patients will have to pay for Tocilizumab injections.

“We have set up an integrated command and control centre. They have access to real-time availability of resources. We have decentralised it so that it is better managed at local level. We are studying models of other states on the dashboard,” Sehgal said.

Delhi, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have created an online dashboard to show live availability of COVID-19 resources.

In UP, people have to dial local helpline numbers to check availability of COVID-19 resources.

People across the country, including in Uttar Pradesh, have been posting messages on social media for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines such as Remdesivir and Tocilizumab injections.

There are over 3 lakh active COVID-19 cases in UP and death toll has surpassed 12,000 till date.

“We have made it clear that Remdesivir is available for free in government hospitals and private facilities taken by the government. Even in private hospitals, it is provided for free based on doctor’s prescription. The District Magistrate has been authorised to issue Remdesivir,” Sehgal said.

He said that the central government has imported Tocilizumab injections and allocated 150 units to UP.

“Patients will have to pay for Tocilizumab injections because it is not made in the country and has to be imported.

“State government has authorised commissioners to issue the injection based on a report from the chief medical officer or additional director for health,” Sehgal said.

He said the state government has divided big cities into sectors and asked city magistrates to take round and reach out to patients for timely help.

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