COVID-19 in Lucknow: Situation grim, city heading towards lockdown, says UP Minister Brajesh Pathak

COVID-19 in Lucknow: Situation grim, city heading towards lockdown, says UP Minister Brajesh Pathak

Srawan ShuklaUpdated: Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 10:41 PM IST
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ANI

Lucknow: Contradicting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Cabinet minister Brajesh Pathak said lockdown will be imposed in the state capital Lucknow to control the second surge of coronavirus if situation did not improve in next couple of days.

The Law Minister Brajesh Pathak shot off a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary Health Amit Monhan Prasad on Tuesday to express concern over spike in active cases in the last few days. “If the situation did not improve, the government would be left with no choice than to impose complete lockdown to break the chain of second surge of coronavirus,” he warned health officials.

His letter is an eyeopener to describe the grim situation in Lucknow where the number of active cases has crossed 5,000 mark on Tuesday (5382 to be precise). The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too took a dig at the laxity shown by health officials saying that they should work in the direction of breaking the chain instead of waiting for lockdown to be imposed.

“Medical services have come to a naught in Lucknow. There are no ambulances, beds, proper treatment and testing kits available at Covid hospitals for coronavirus infected patients in the state capital,” Pathak fumed.

The Law Minister pointed out the death of famous historian Padma Shri Yogesh Praveen who died due to Ambulance reaching his home after two hours. “It happened when I had called the CMO to rush the Ambulance to his residence,” he said.

Pathak also took a dig at the health officials for delay in releasing Covid-19 test reports. “Reports are being made available to people in 4 to 7 days. Private Pathology Centres have stopped doing tests and testing kits are in short supply at government testing centres,” he charged.

Sources claimed that private labs stopped testing after the CMO office mounted pressure on them for not showing many positive cases in their reports to fudge the figure of active cases.

He has directed the ACS Health to ensure that testing is allowed in private labs and make available reports within 24 hours, increase in number of covid beds with oxygen and ventilator facility and random RT PCR tests in every nook and corner of Lucknow.

The Law Minister’s letter bomb has caused embarrassment to his own government led by Yogi Adityanath. The opposition has sharply reacted to the questions raised by the senior Cabinet Minister.

“Chief Minister is unable to control the situation in Lucknow, how will he check the second surge of coronavirus across Uttar Pradesh?” quipped Ajay Kumar Lallu, the UPCC President.

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