'Uttarakhand should increase COVID-19 testing, lay more thrust on mobile tests in difficult areas'

Uttarakhand should ramp up testing for COVID-19 and boost mobile testing in areas where access and availability of health services is a challenge, says a district-wide ground report prepared by a non-profit organisation.

The report prepared by Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Social Development for Communties Foundation Dehradun, said that 2,636 lives were lost in the 19 days period from May 1 to May 19.

"Uttarakhand's death rate of 1.77 per cent is 57 per cent higher than the national death rate of 1.11 per cent. As per credible media reports, 93 per cent patients in rural areas are in home isolation. There could not be greater evidence of lack of medical facilties in rural areas which is a legacy issue in state," the report said.

It said Uttarakhand needs to do more tests in all districts, week after week, not only in a few bigger districts like Dehradun.

"Uttarakhand can only aspire to be one step ahead of the pandemic if it does more tests along with strengthening its network of both government and private labs. Mobile testing is a necessity in the hill terrain of Uttarakhand where access and availability of health services has been an eternal challenge. Citizens complain that test facilities are negligible and often do not avail the services when available due to lack of trust in healthcare services," the report said.

It said Uttarakhand is a disaster-prone state with monsoon season not far and called for all necessary steps by the state government.

( With inputs from ANI )