Nodal officer flags irregularities in management of home-isolated cases in Muzaffarnagar

The district health department has issued showcause notices to four private clinics for allegedly refusing treatment to non-COVID patients

Several irregularities were found in the management of home-isolated COVID-19 patients in the district during an inspection by a senior officer, officials said Tuesday.

Urban Development Department Special Secretary Indermani Tripathi, who has been appointed as the nodal officer for management of COVID-19 in district, conducted an inspection in the town on Monday and flagged these irregularities in a letter to the state government.

He said such patients are not being visited by heath department teams and also not being provided proper treatment.

Their houses and those of their neighbours’ were also not sanitised, he said.

After his letter, Saharanpur Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Kumar directed lodging of an FIR against Muzaffarnagar city board executive officer for not sanitising such houses, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the district health department has issued showcause notices to four private clinics for allegedly refusing treatment to non-COVID patients.

Chief Medical Officer Praveen Chopra said the action was taken after a complaint was received and the clinics have been asked to provide treatment to such patients.

The district has reported 68 COVID-19 deaths so far.

As many as 64 cases were reported in the district Monday evening, taking the number of active patients to 1,008, the officials said.