COVID bares UP’s crumbling health infrastructure   

ParmanandSrivastav is a bank officer residing in the Madhopur area of Varanasi. After he got infected with Coronavirus, he went into home isolation, confident that he will get medical advice at home. Even after four days, neither the doctors’ team arrived nor did any phone call. The bank manager, who is receiving treatment in consultation with a private doctor, says, “Had I depended on the public health system, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Four members of the family of Deepak Singhal and Manish Mishra, barely 1000 meters away from the Chief Minister’s residence in Gorakhpur, were infected. Deepak says, “Even after three days of receiving the information about them being COVID positive, no call came from the health department or the administration. The fourth day the medical team arrived only when we called the control room. And we got nothing as far as the treatment or medicines are concerned.”

AvadhSrivastava, posted as Revenue Inspector in the Municipal Corporation, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital of level three in Gorakhpur. According to the government claim, patients on ventilator cannot be charged more than Rs 13,000 per day, but in 10 days, the hospital charged him Rs5 lakh. When there was no improvement in his condition, he came home on the advice of private doctors. He has ended up spendingRs 8 lakh. But he still has difficulty in breathing. Though rapid response teams (RRTs) has been formed for patients in home isolation, they neither have medicines nor the required medical equipment. A CHC in-charge of Gonda district says that “PPE kit is mandatory before attending to a Coronavirus-infected patient. But the team is getting only masks, caps and sanitisers. And it’s difficult even to get these.”

RRT members from Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi have pleaded with the concerned authorities regarding lack of equipment. On the question of the availability of equipment, DrSiddharth Shankar, a doctor posted in Brahmapur block of Gorakhpur, explains: “while giving the oximeter to the patients, we take a photo of the patient so that the patient does not deny getting it once he recovers from the infection. Later, the oximeter is given to another patient.”

During home isolation, patients are treating themselves on their own and thus facing other difficulties as well. Chest physician Dr VN Agarwal elaborates, “several patients have kept oxygen cylinders at home. Taking oxygen contrary to the standard guidelines, is causing other medical problems.”

Corruption in the purchase of equipment

In many districts of Uttar Pradesh, cases of corruption have come to light in purchase of medical kits and other medical equipment. Sultanpur DM C. Indumati has been accused by local BJP MLA DevamaniDwivedi himself of corruption in the purchase of oximeters and thermometers. After the matter came to the fore, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sanjay Prasad, wrote a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayati Raj, and sought a report on the same.

RajyaSabha MP Sanjay Singh alleges that “The DM, bypassing the clear government order to buy the kit for Rs 2,800, bought it for Rs 9,950. Will the Yogi government act on the corrupt district officer or will it remain silent?”

Raebareli District Magistrate VaibhavSrivastava created a controversy by calling the district Chief Medical Officer, Sanjay Sharma, a donkey. Purchase of medical equipment is said to be the reason behind this.

Lack of medical treatment push patients to commit suicide

The state government may claim that it is providing medical facilities to all but realities from the chief minister’s constituency of Gorakhpur to the Prime Minister’s constituency of Varanasi, show that some people, upset and distressed due to lack of treatment, are being forced to commit suicide.

In Banaras Hindu University (BHU), a Coronavirus-infected young man got so frustrated with the lack of treatment that he jumped from the fourth floor of a building and died. In Kannauj, Sanjay Rajput, brother of BJP MLA Kailash Rajput, became so distressed with available medical facilities that he committed suicide. A 45-year-old youth admitted to the Corona ward of BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur, first slit his own throat and then assaulted the doctor and medical staff. Psychiatrist Dr RamAharansays that “patients are taking such steps due to insecurity and lack of counseling”.