Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all the Commissioners and District Magistrates to identify and strengthen the infrastructure in at least two community health centres (CHCs) in every district with 50 oxygen beds in each division as L1 facility so that the pressure on the city hospitals and L2 and L3 facilities is reduced to a certain extent.

The necessary arrangements like beds, oxygen supply (oxygen generation plant or oxygen concentrators or jumbo cylinders), doctors, nurses, essential medicines and testing facilities are to be ensured in these identified CHCs.

This is being done in view of the fact that Covid is slowly making headway in rural areas also. The state government has taken it as a priority to improve and strengthen the rural health infrastructure.

According to the government spokesman, repair and renovation of the wards and bathrooms, if needed, is to be done in the next one week. Also, requirements of medicines, equipment and estimate for works to be done is to be sent to the Chief Medical Officer at the earliest.

In Kanpur division, two CHCs in every district have already been identified and necessary steps are being taken up by the administration and health department to ensure that 50 oxygen beds are set up at the earliest.

Kanpur Commissioner Raj Shekhar, who has been visiting CHCs in rural areas, said, “During our visit, we found that there are a total 30 beds available as of now in some places. More space to be created for another 20 beds.”