COVID-19: Yogi govt issued substandard PPEs to doctors, withdraws old kits after complaints

After distributing “faulty and substandard” Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the doctors across the state, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has withdrawn old kits, revealed an internal communication of the government.

According to the communication, concern about “the faulty and substandard PPEs” was raised by doctors in Meerut and Noida, following which the BJP government issued a direction to the hospitals to not use them.

Bearing the signature of Dr. KK Gupta, Director-General Medical Education of Uttar Pradesh, a letter issued on April 13 was sent to various medical colleges and institutes, asking doctors to not use the faulty and substandard PPEs, distributed by the state government earlier.

Addressing heads of medical colleges and institutes, Gupta, stated, “The Principals of GIMC, Noida, and LLRM, Meerut have informed that their institutes have received substandard PPE kits supplied from the UP Medical Supply Corporation Limited.”

Directing institutes to immediately return the faulty and substandard kits and replace them with new ones, Gupta asked hospitals to inform the DGME office.

According to sources, PPE kits that were supplied to the doctors were not as per the length mentioned in the guidelines of the Government of India. Besides, the strings of many PPE kits were found to be broken, leaving the doctors exposed to the danger.

It is worth mentioning here that the PPE kits were procured by the UP Medical Supply Corporation which is being headed by Shruti Singh. It has been alleged that Singh, a Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer indulged in corruption in the supply and procurement of PPEs in the past.

“In such a crucial time, they have risked life of many doctors. The Yogi government has not only committed crime against the doctor community but humanity also,” said UP Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Meanwhile, it has come to notice that the BJP government has swung into a face-saving exercise after the media reported the issue. UP additional chief secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi was quoted as saying that kits were procured last year.

“The chief minister has instructed the state medical and medical education department to take the necessary action in this regard,” Awasthi said.

UP medical, health and family welfare principal secretary Amit Mohan Prasad told media that these PPE kits were procured in October-November last year for protecting people against H1N1. He denied any wrongdoing in the procurement process also.

There are around 45 medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh where COVID-19 facilities have been established. As per the data issued by the ministry health and family welfare, as on April 17, Uttar Pradesh has reported 846 COVID-19 positive cases and 14 deaths.