UP CM asks pvt hospitals, nursing homes to start non-COVID services

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the doctors of private hospitals and nursing homes in the state to provide non-COVID health services in coordination with the administrations of their respective districts, officials said on Thursday. The chief minister directed the health department to give immediate permission to private hospitals and nursing homes that are following the coronavirus protocol to start operations and all medical activities. In a video conference with members of the Indian Medical Association on Wednesday night, he stressed that before starting the emergency and other services all medical institutions should provide training to their staff on how to safeguard themselves from the novel virus. There should also be availability of PPE kits, N95 masks, sanitizers and other such essential equipment in private hospitals, Adityanath said. He said all registered hospitals and nursing homes under the Ayushman Bharat policy should be provided PPE kits at subsidised rates and directed the Principal Secretary, Medical Health, to extend the registration of such hospitals for six months, officials said.

He directed that private hospitals need to necessarily check community spread and ensure proper screening of those reaching for emergency services and immediately inform the district administration in case of any COVID-19 positive case. Besides, he also instructed that private hospitals be sanitized twice in 24 hours and doctors and other staff be regularly tested.  "The Indian Medical Association is contributing in this fight against coronavirus. We would be able to win this fight better with the help of private doctors. It is necessary to provide better and qualitative medical services to people," the chief minister said. "The people have acknowledged and respected the contribution of doctors, paramedics, nurses and other staff in this fight against coronavirus," he said.

There are 26 coronavirus testing labs functioning in the state and efforts are on to increase this number. The state government is trying to bring the best technology available to fight coronavirus, the chief minister added. Asking private hospitals, nursing homes and others to run emergency services as per the guidelines of the state government, Adityanath called for taking all precautions to check infection and maintain social distancing. The CM said private hospitals and nursing homes have a major role in providing medical facilities to the people and that they need to implement corona protocol and ensure that the patients suffering from other diseases do not have to suffer, the officials said.

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