Lucknow: In the last 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh recorded 402 new Covid-19 cases, marking the highest single-day spike of this year as well as a jump of 128 per cent since the previous day's figure.
The new cases increased the state's overall active caseload to 1,498 as of Tuesday, including 338 in Lucknow, where 83 people tested positive in the last 24 hours.
In Lucknow, seven patients are admitted to Covid facilities. Meanwhile, one death was also registered in the same period which was reported from Ambedkar Nagar.
The state's total death toll now stands at 23,652, according to the Health Department.
In order to check the preparedness of hospitals in the state to tackle the resurgence, the first mock drill of the year was conducted in 75 districts of the state on Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak observed the drill at the Balrampur Hospital on Tuesday. As part of the drill, a speeding ambulance came to the medical facility. Subsequently, ward boys wearing PPE kits took a dummy patient from the ambulance and put IT on a stretcher.
Pathak himself walked along with the 'patient' on the stretcher.
As per protocol, the patient's BP, oxygen level, and temperature were checked as soon as he entered the SSB block.
As soon as the patient was shifted to bed, the anaesthesia team gave ventilator support to him. Doctors were successful in giving a life support system to the patient brought on the ambulance within just four minutes of his entering the hospital. Pathak stayed at the hospital for about half-an-hour. During this, he also examined other facilities -- including the oxygen plant installed in the Balrampur Hospital.
The director of the hospital, Dr Ramesh Goyal, said that the hospital has two oxygen plants to deal with any kind of shortage of oxygen. Chief medical superintendent Dr G.P. Gupta said that one plant is 960 LPM and the other is 500 LPM. Both plants have been set up with the CSR funds of Indian Oil.
The focus of the mock drill was to check working conditions of oxygen plants, availability and working of oxygen concentrators in hospitals, and preparation of duty roster, among others.
—IANS