UP struggles to contain deadly viral fever; 40 children among 60 dead so far

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath removes chief medical officer in a bid to save his face; monitors the situation directly and orders sanitisation of both urban and rural areas

Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh):At least 60 people, including 40 children, have died due to viral fever in Firozabad. As the mounting death toll created a panic among the people, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state has sprung into action.

Hundred additional beds have been arranged for the treatment of children in the new building of the Medical College in Forozabad, which will start functioning in a day or two. In addition, a team of over 15 doctors has reached Firozabad from different districts and more doctors are expected to arrive soon. Apart from this, an adequate quantity of platelets is also being arranged for the patients.

In a face saving move, the government removed the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Firozabad district, Nita Kulshreshtha, and issued necessary guidelines to the administration.

READ:UP: Reports attribute unknown reasons for the death of children in Firozabad

The government also called for a report from the Additional Chief Secretary of Health.

Meanwhile, instructions have also been issued to run a surveillance and awareness programme in the state from September 7 to 16, in which health workers would go door-to-door and identify those with fever and Covid-19 symptoms. The chief minister has also instructed the urban and rural bodies to sanitise the area.

Some western UP districts like Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri have been witnessing a spike in cases of viral fever for the last few days.

The chief minister is monitoring the situation and has ordered the health department to keep a round-the-clock watch on Firozabad. He also visited the sick in Firozabad on August 30.