"Working On Ramping Up Medical Facilities": UP Minister On COVID-19

Two coronavirus-linked deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh today, but the bigger worry is over the death of a 25-year-old man at a hospital in eastern UP's Gorakhpur. Red flags have been raised after it emerged he hid travel history details from doctors. The UP government is also very worried about the number of people who may have been infected or exposed since he was first admitted to a hospital in Basti, which is around 50 kilometres from Gorakhpur. On the show, we spoke to Sidharth Nath Singh, state cabinet minister and former health minister, who says that the 25-year-old man was being treated for an acute renal problem and that Gorakhpur's BRD Medical college has good infrastructure and training facilities. One of the big challenges the state government faces right now is the labour class coming in to the state, the minister says.