text: State government designated two hospitals as dedicated Covid hospitals in Lucknow. (IE Image, Representative)
  After witnessing an overwhelming number of Covid-19 cases, and patients desperately trying to secure a hospital bed in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed authorities to increase the number of hospitals allotted for covid treatment in the capital city, Lucknow. He has also asked Balrampur Hospital and King George's Medical University (KGMU) to prepare themselves as dedicated Covid hospitals.
  The state government in a statement has assured that there will be neither any shortage of medication, oxygen supply or beds for both Covid and non-Covid patients as additional beds will be provided to the existing Covid treatment centres in the new couple of days and facilities like Hind Medical College, TS Mishra Hospital in Lucknow will be expanded.
  Hospitals, in contract to the government claims, complained of shortage of Covid treatment facility, scarcity of beds making patients wait for days to be hospitalized, reported the Indian Express. According to a KGMU official, instructions have been given that patients testing positive should be sent for isolation or other medical facilities in absence of beds. KGMU is the biggest Covid treatment facility in Uttar Pradesh but in the last few days over 50 patients had to wait for a hospital bed, the official told IE. The scene was more or less the same in RML Hospital and Civil Hospital as well.
  The CM has earlier warned hospitals that a case under the Pandemic Act will be registered if anyone with the recommendation of the chief medical officers or the district magistrate is turned away. The DMS, CMOs of all the districts in the state were sent orders regarding the same. For the non-Covid patients, the CM said that they will also be taken care of without any slag in treatment.
  The CM also asked the state medical authorities to review the availability of oxygen and Remdesiver shots for treatment of Covid patients on daily basis. The Minister in charge has to review their respective districts daily and a rapid action force will be formed to increase the number of beds in the Covid hospitals. Also, the arrangement of staff and other resources should be made a priority.
  KGMU spokesperson Sudhir Singh confirmed that following the government orders, from Monday onwards the hospital will be only Covid facility and all other departments like Obstetrics, Cardiology will be diverted over government hospitals in Lucknow. The hospital that can currently accommodate 520 Covid patients will have 3,000 beds from Monday.
  There are currently, 1,29,848 active Covid cases in the state, out of which 2,012 are admitted at private facilities and 66,528 patients are in home isolation.