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With Covid cases spiking in western Uttar Pradesh, some gangs are on the prowl in Meerut providing beds to patients in state-run and private hospitals at a premium. In cases where patients require oxygen or ventilator, the facilitation fee automatically goes up.
Hapur businessman Prakhar Tyagi’s wife tested Covid positive and was brought to Meerut’s LLRM Medical College and Hospital where she was  initially denied admission.
“As I stood at the Covid hospital gate contemplating the course of action, a stranger approached me and offered help. He promised to arrange a bed for Rs 25,000, to which  I readily agreed and my wife was finally admitted,” Tyagi said.
The modus operandi of the gang is that they stand and wait around the main gate of Covid hospital looking for harried relatives in search of beds and then offer their services at an exorbitant price. The mobile phone numbers of Deeepu, Ramesh and Sonka, supposed to be the facilitators, are doing the rounds in and around  Meerut hospitals.
On their part, the district officials claimed that fraud admission in hospitals was not possible because the system was centralised.
“There is some crisis, but it does not mean that gangs are working in the pretext of providing beds to the needy,” District Magistrate of Meerut K Balaji said. With a surge in corona cases, people from adjoining regions are rushing their patients to Meerut for specialised treatment. It is estimated that half of the 3000 beds in Meerut are occupied by patients from Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Shamli and even from Delhi.
BJP MP from Meerut Rajendra Agarwal  said that since Meerut is the centre of medical services in western UP, patients from neighbouring districts reach there for Covid-19 treatment. “Hence, it is no wonder that we have more patients in Meerut than the possible strength of hospitals. I have written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to increase the number of beds in hospitals in Meerut,” he said.
On Thursday, Meerut reported 1,070 Covid cases, the highest in Uttar Pradesh. The other west UP districts reporting fresh cases in the last 24 hours included Gautam Budh Nagar (747), Muzaffar Nagar (373), Hapur (315) and Baghpat  (271).
Such a large influx of Covid patients has led to paucity of beds in hospitals. Many patients have brought their own cots while numerous others were lying on the hospital verandahs.
“Not all Covid positive cases need hospitalisation. People are bringing patients in the hospitals who can easily be treated in home isolation. We are advising people to not panic and treat patients at home. Since May 1, around 18,000 people in Meerut have tested Corona positive. “Hardly 20 percent of them need hospital treatment. The rest can stay home and follow the Covid treatment protocol,” Dr Sarojini Agarwal said.