A sharp rise in the cases of Corona has been witnessed in the cities of western UP in the last couple of days. As per the official record, 2895 positive cases of corona have been reported in 10 districts of western UP with the highest 716 positive cases in Meerut district in just a single day on Saturday.

With each passing day, the number of Corona cases is scaling in cities of western UP. On Saturday 2895 cases of Corona were reported from 10 districts of western UP that include Meerut and Saharanpur divisions and nearby Bijnore district of Moradabad division.

Of the six districts of Meerut Division in Meerut, 716 cases were reported with 10 deaths, in Baghpat 60, Hapur 88, Bulandshahr 350, Ghaziabad 250 and Gautam Budh Nagar 402 positive cases were reported on a single day on Saturday while from three districts of Saharanpur division, in Saharanpur 310, Muzzaffarnagar 294 including the death of a woman and Shamli 209 cases were reported. In district Bijnore, which is adjacent to Hardwar of Uttarakhand, 116 cases and 1 death has been reported on Saturday.

Dr Gyanendra Sharma, Principal of LLRM Medical College of Meerut informed that on Saturday, 716 corona cases were tested positive with 10 deaths at the Medical college. Of these 10 deaths, 5 (including that of a woman) were reported from Meerut while 3 (including a woman) from Bulandshahr, 1 each from Baghpat and Ghaziabad districts, both women.

It is feared that the actual number of casualties could be much higher contrary to the official records. The pictures coming from the cremation ground in Ghaziabad are narrating a different story belying the official claims.

Similarly, in Surajkund Cremation ground of Meerut, the records show confirm deaths of 24 corona patients between April 12 and April 16 while as per the health department records the figure of corona deaths is just 10 during the same period.

The cases have been increasing at a fast pace in spite of the night curfew being imposed in Uttar Pradesh. On Friday, 1802 Corona cases were reported from 8 districts of the region with 8 deaths. Out of 1802, 551 cases were from Meerut alone where 2 patients died during the course of the treatment. In Muzzaffarnagar 362 cases were reported with 4 deaths, in Bulandshahar 192 cases with 1 death, in Saharanpur 272 cases, in Bijnor 168 cases, in Hapur 123 cases with 1 death, in Baghpat 60 cases with 1 death and in Shamli 74 new cases of Corona were reported on Friday.

Since the highest number of cases are being reported from Meerut in the region during the past couple of days the concern is more here. From April 1 to 17, so far 4114 positive cases have been reported in the Meerut district. Till April 11 there were only 1330 cases and the figure has multiplied by more than 3 times in just six days here.

According to the claims of the Health Department, adequate arrangements for the treatment of Corona patients have been made. In the Meerut district, besides LLRM Medical College, Subharti Medical College and NCR Medical Colleges are giving treatment to Corona patients. Four CHCs also have been converted into L1 and L2 level hospitals to provide treatment to Covid patients. Besides, 8 private hospitals are also converted into Corona hospitals. Presently 1935 beds are available with oxygen and 335 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to treat severe patients in the district.

During a meeting with hospital and nursing home owners on Saturday, the district magistrate of Meerut K Balaji has suggested converting a few more hospitals as Corona hospitals, said Dr Ambesh Pawar, President of Meerut Nursing Home Association adding that they have motivated a few hospitals for the same considering the possibility of the further requirement of beds for treatment.