Noida: Private hospitals to keep track of cross notified Covid-19 positive cases
Alarmed with the rising coronavirus (Covid-19) disease positive cases in the district due to patients coming from other neighbouring districts and Delhi, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has decided to keep a tab on private hospitals.
Since the testing in the district is easier than in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr and Meerut, many patients give the addresses and phone numbers of their relatives living in Gautam Budh Nagar to get their tests done, officials said. As a result of this influx of patients from other places, the number of cases has been increasing. On June 1, the state health department had stated in a report that in the last 20 days, source of infections of 42% of all the Covid-19 positive cases in the district has been tracked to Delhi.
District magistrate Suhas LY has said that private hospitals have been asked to check properly the medical records of the patients coming from other states and districts to Noida. “We can’t ask any hospital for stopping the treatment of patients. But at the same time, we can’t risk the lives of our residents. Before coming for treatment of coronavirus from various places to the Noida district, the patients must have the proper letter of reference from competent health officials of their respective places,” he said.
The DM further said that this scrutiny will not only smoothen the process of contact tracing, but will also reduce the number of patients being cross-notified to other places. “If we do not put a check on such cases, it will put an unnecessary burden on us. We have limited beds in our Covid-19 facilities in different hospitals for Gautam Budh Nagar residents. If those seats are occupied by others, what will we do for our own people,” he said.
Of the total positive cases in the district on June 7, while 41 patients who tested Covid-positive were from Gautam Budh Nagar, 48 patients who tested Covid-positive were from other places, including 15 from Delhi and 7 from Ghaziabad.
The DM also said that the Delhi-Noida border will continue to remain sealed and only essential services, having requisite documentation, will be allowed to move. Stating that the rising number of Covid-19 cases is a reason for the step, he said that after consultation and consent of health and police departments, it was decided in public interest that status quo shall be maintained with respect to inter-state borders. “As far as the Supreme Court’s instructions on Thursday regarding easing inter-state movement at all borders of the National Capital Region (NCR) is concerned, we are waiting for the fresh guidelines from the state headquarters and we’ll certainly follow them,” he said.