UP CM Yogi Adityanath bans mobile phones in COVID-19 hospitals, Samajwadi Party slams move

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has banned mobile phones inside isolation wards of hospitals where coronavirus-infected patients are undergoing treatment but the move has evoked a sharp response from the opposition Samajwadi Party.

The order has been passed by the State Health Department to check the spread of the COVID-19 infection.

According to reports, the patients admitted in dedicated L-2 and L-3 COVID-19 hospitals will no longer be allowed to take mobile phones along with them in the isolation wards in order to check the spread of the infection.

According to the order issued by the Health Department late on Saturday night, two mobile phones will now be available with the ward in-charge of the COVID-19 care centers so that patients can talk to their family members and administration if required.

Further, the orders specify that the mobile numbers should be communicated to the family members of the patients also.

The order was issued by KK Gupta, Director General Medical Education, and all concerned officials and directors of dedicated COVID-19 hospitals have been informed about it.

"To facilitate the communication between COVID-19 patients admitted in clinics, with their family members, or anyone else, ensure that two dedicated mobile phones while adhering to infection prevention norms, are kept with ward in-charge of COVID care center," the order said.

However, former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party has slammed the move.

Taking a dig at the ruling party, the Samajwadi Party said in a tweet that the move to ban mobile phones is an attempt by the state government to conceal its shortcomings and various loopholes in its arrangements for treating the COVI-19 patients.

'उत्तर प्रदेश में कोरोना मोबाइल से फैलता है' क्योंकि मोबाइल फोन कैमरे से बदइंतजामी से बदहाल क्वारन्टीन सेंटरों की पोल खुलने का खतरा है!

क्वारन्टीन सेंटरों में मरीजों के मोबाइल ले जाने पर रोक संबंधी स्वास्थ्य विभाग का आदेश अपनी करनी छुपाने का पैंतरा मात्र! फैसला वापिस ले सरकार। pic.twitter.com/3U6GMXeP9C — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) May 24, 2020

Akhilesh Yadav’s party has demanded the state government to immediately cancel the order banning mobile phones inside COVID-19 hospitals in UP. 

According to the latest data available on the website of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Uttar Pradesh now has 5,735 cases of Corona positive patients and the numbers have been growing steadily for the past ten days.