Officials are not attending calls, says Union Minister Gangwar in letter to UP CM

Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on Sunday wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressing concern over the poor healthcare system in Bareilly and indifferent health officials as the Covid-19 pandemic rages unabated.

Gangwar, a senior BJP leader, is the Lok Sabha MP from Bareilly. In his letter to Yogi Adityanath, Gangwar complained that officials don’t receive phone calls and patients are forced to run from one hospital to another in the name of a referral letter.

Gangwar is the latest addition to a long list of public representatives in UP including BJP’s own lawmakers besides opposition leaders who have raised questions about the handling of Covid crisis in Uttar Pradesh by the Yogi Adityanath government.

The letter was written after the Union minister's meeting with senior officials of the district on Saturday.

The BJP MP also claimed that BiPap machines, ventilators and other medical equipment used in hospitals are being “black marketed and sold at higher prices". He has suggested that prices of medical equipment should be capped, while private hospitals registered under MSME should be given a discount.

“I have come to know that there is an oxygen shortage in Bareilly as many people have hoarded oxygen cylinders as a precautionary measure in their homes. Such people should be identified and punished as because of them the oxygen cylinders are not reaching the needy. Such people are selling these cylinders at higher prices," he said.

Gangwar said private hospitals in Bareilly should be allowed to treat Covid patients.

He urged the CM to set up oxygen plants in Bareilly to help deal with the increased demand of oxygen in the state.

He said that for better utilisation of Covid vaccine, the government should allow the Ayushman Bharat registered hospitals to vaccinate the youth.

Earlier, several BJP legislators have complained about mismanagement by the authorities in providing medical facilities to the Covid patients in respective districts.