Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 10 (HBTV): The Uttar Pradesh government has strengthened the state's critical care infrastructure by operationalising Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in 40 district hospitals, enabling thousands of critically ill patients to receive advanced treatment locally.
According to a statement, over the past eight years, the Yogi Adityanath government has made significant progress in improving the state's health infrastructure, particularly in critical care. A major milestone has been the activation of ICUs in 40 district hospitals across Uttar Pradesh. The initiative, launched around 15 months ago, has improved access to advanced treatment for critically ill patients at the local level.
As a result, more than 2,100 patients have received timely, life-saving care in their districts, offering relief to families who would otherwise have to travel to Lucknow or Delhi.
The statement noted that earlier, many district hospitals had the infrastructure for ICUs but lacked trained personnel to operate them effectively, leading to frequent referrals to tertiary hospitals in metropolitan areas. To address this, the state government launched a comprehensive training programme to build local ICU capabilities.
The initiative, led by Professor Anshul Jain of Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College, Jhansi, was implemented under the CARE-UP programme. The training covered ventilator management, patient monitoring, infection control, and other key aspects of critical care. Doctors, nurses, and lab technicians across districts were trained to manage and operate ICUs effectively.
Fully operational ICUs are now providing critical services not only in several hospitals in Lucknow, including Balrampur Hospital, Civil Hospital, Rani Laxmibai Hospital, Lokbandhu Hospital, and Ram Sagar Mishra Hospital, but also in districts such as Barabanki, Ayodhya, Sitapur, Unnao, Kanpur Nagar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ambedkar Nagar, Ballia, Azamgarh, Mau, Gorakhpur, and Basti.
In western and Bundelkhand regions, district hospitals in Etawah, Banda, Chitrakoot, Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Kannauj, Jhansi, Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, and Shamli have also operationalised ICU facilities. This expanded network ensures that intensive care services are now within reach for residents across a much broader geographic area.
Professor Jain said the critical care training programme will be conducted regularly to ensure healthcare professionals remain updated on the latest practices and skills in intensive care. He added that the aim is to make all district hospitals' ICUs fully functional by the end of this year.
Dr Deepak Kumar Maurya, ICU in-charge at Lokbandhu Hospital, said their 11-bed ICU has treated over 150 critically ill patients in the past month, with staff now adept at operating ventilators and advanced medical equipment.
Dr Abhishek Singh, ICU in-charge at Civil Hospital, said the enhanced training has increased their capacity to treat more patients locally, ensuring timely and effective care.
Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Parth Sarthi Sen Sharma, said the training programme was designed to equip doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff with the skills to use ventilators and other modern medical technologies. He noted that ICUs are now functioning in district hospitals from eastern to western Uttar Pradesh, reducing the financial burden on families who previously had to travel to bigger cities.
Sharma also released the Critical Care Refresher Manual, edited by Dr Anshul Jain, with contributions from 36 experts from medical colleges across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The manual serves as a practical handbook for healthcare professionals involved in intensive care.
(ANI)