In a bid to intensify the fight against coronavirus, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to increase testing facilities in the state.

The central government on Sunday announced to deploy rapid test kits to speed up coronavirus screening because of the spike in positive cases.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi said that in a meeting with senior government officers, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had ordered an increase in testing facilities to speed up the testing of the blood samples of suspected coronavirus cases in the state. Funds will be released from the Covid Care Fund set up by the state government to fight coronavirus, he said.

The state government has also decided to upgrade the existing laboratories to BSL-3 category in 10 medical colleges of the state, including LLRM Medical College in Meerut, MLNM Medical College in Prayagraj, MLB Medical College in Jhansi, BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, UPUMS in Safai, GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, Sanjay Gandhi PGI in Lucknow, KGMU Lucknow, RML Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow.

The Chief Minister also ordered the establishment of laboratories in 14 medical colleges located in Ambedkar Nagar, Kannauj, Jalaun, Azamgarh, Saharanpur, Banda, Badaun, Noida, Greater Noida, Basti, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Firozabad and Shahjahanpur. These medical colleges do not have testing facilities.

Those districts that have hospitals but no medical colleges will have upgraded sample collection centres. The work on the upgradation of the laboratories in the 24 medical colleges will start from Tuesday.

The chief secretary, principal secretary, medical education and principal secretary, health and family welfare have been directed to prepare the work plan for the strengthening of the laboratories in the medical colleges, he said.

PPE for policemen

The state government has also decided to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to policemen along with doctors, para-medical staff, health workers and associated staff posted in hospitals and health centres across the state.

Awasthi said, police officers and constables have been deployed in coronavirus sensitive areas. They have to conduct searches to locate suspected patients and are deployed outside hospitals and quarantine centres to assist the health department teams in the transportation of patients from various localities to the hospitals. The state government has decided to provide PPE to policemen for protection from coronavirus, he said.

31 units across Uttar Pradesh are manufacturing masks, whereas 99 units are producing sanitisers.

CM Adityanath has ordered the purchase of PPE from the Covid Care Fund. As many as 410 units in the state have already started producing equipment and protective gear, he said.