MEERUT Government hospitals in different districts of Meerut division will soon provide video calling facility for family members of those Covid patients who are critical and undergoing treatment in intensive care units (ICU).
Divisional commissioner Surendra Singh shared that they had received 40 mobile phones from different companies through corporate social responsibility (CSR). These phones would be activated and provided to different government hospitals to facilitate video calling between patients in ICU and their family members.
Singh said that it would be mandatory for deputed hospital staff to arrange video calls between patients and their family members. “ Such an initiative would help family members to know the condition of their patients”,said Singh who has initiated many other measures in the past one week to streamline treatment facilities and availability of oxygen in different districts.
People have been demanding video calling for quite some time as they have been deprived of receiving update about health condition of their patients admitted to ICU and other wards.
The demand grew stronger after a patient admitted to LLRM Medical College of Meerut died a day after he was admitted to covid ward on April 21. Hospital staff kept on updating his daughter about his health till May 3 and the same evening other staff told her that no such patient was admitted to the ward. Investigation into the incident later revealed that confusion was created because two patients of similar names were undergoing treatment.
{{/usCountry}}The demand grew stronger after a patient admitted to LLRM Medical College of Meerut died a day after he was admitted to covid ward on April 21. Hospital staff kept on updating his daughter about his health till May 3 and the same evening other staff told her that no such patient was admitted to the ward. Investigation into the incident later revealed that confusion was created because two patients of similar names were undergoing treatment.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Singh issued an order to all DMs and CDOs of the divisions to ensure that oxygen cylinders got refilled at ₹400 instead of the earlier prescribed refilling charge of ₹600. “ Though I have ordered to reduce ₹200 filing charges per cylinder, it may vary in districts because of the varying transportation cost,” he said and explained that in Ghaziabad it would be ₹350 plus GST and in Bulandshahr it would cost ₹450 plus GST. “ The uniform charges would prevent people from being exploited,” said Singh.
He further shared that distribution of oxygen had been streamlined different districts of the division and presently 210 metric ton oxygen was available everyday to meet demand in hospitals. He said maximum demand was in Noida followed by Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr and Baghpat.
Meanwhile, officials’ initiative to establish three oxygen filling centres in Meerut city to cater to individuals undergoing treatment in home isolation has also yielded fruitful results. Caretakers of patients deposit their cylinders in these centres with required documents and receive filled cylinders after some time. “Initially we delivered filled cylinders in 24 hours and the time was reduced to 5 hours on Tuesday. We hope to deliver hand to hand in coming days,” said Singh who shared that hospitals were warned of action if they asked family members to arrange oxygen cylinders because they were being supplied sufficient gas.
He claimed that 10 per cent beds had been added after streamlining availability of oxygen.