Real Time And Micro Management: UP Model Proved To Be Better Once Again

After conducting a comprehensive survey on 11 May, World Health Organization (WHO) came to a conclusion that the micro-management of Uttar Pradesh government with the aim of breaking the chain of infection in rural areas has been effective and yielded good results.

Now the NITI Aayog has also praised the system of oxygen supply monitoring and real-time Covid management for providing immediate oxygen to every person in need in the state during the unprecedented crisis.

Praising UP model of real time and micro management, NITI Aayog said that due to this management system, the state government has successfully been able to ramp up 250 MT of oxygen supply to 1,000 MT. The state government has established oxygen hubs and developed a dashboard — OxyTracker, through which tankers can be tracked in real-time, allowing quick and smart allocation of oxygen.

The Aayog also praised the micro-management of the state government and has also suggested that the Covid model of UP should be emulated by other states. It also believes that the state’s ‘test, trace and treat’ strategy is highly effective in preventing corona infection.

The appreciation of the coronavirus model of UP by an international body like WHO and a reputed National Commission like NITI Aayog clearly indicates that the model adopted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is undoubtedly the best and effective model.

UP has succeeded in keeping the maximum number of people (per million) safe from the pandemic. This has been the result of Adityanath’s vision, leadership, unprecedented hard work and strategy.

Most importantly, the government of UP has not only created and successfully carried out the micro and macro strategy to safeguard the lives of the people but has also been committed to safeguarding their livelihood.

This is proven from the fact that in the last 24 hours, the state has recorded 23,045 recoveries as against around 9,391 new positive cases.

In the last 15 days, there has been a significant decrease in the number of active cases (161,751) in the state. While UP is conducting more than 2.5 lakh tests daily, it is noteworthy that state has conducted 44,950,523 tests until 16 May.

The real-time Covid management for providing immediate oxygen that the NITI Aayog was referring to was actually carried out at both micro and macro levels to balance the demand and supply of oxygen.

It should be noted that soon after UP began facing an acute shortage in medical oxygen, Adityanath made a strategic plan and on 23 April, he launched the ‘oxygen monitoring system for UP’ to meet rising demand of oxygen. As a result, within 10 days the oxygen supply was successfully ramped up from 250 MT to 1,000 MT.

UP became the first state to introduce this model of oxygen supply.

Under the concrete action plan, the digital platform was launched in coordination with the Food Safety and Drug Administration, Medical Education Department, Medical Health and Family Welfare Department, Transport and a command control centre at Home Department.

The command centre monitors the location of the oxygen tanker, status of oxygen and the micro-monitoring of the demand through the Oxytracker dashboard.

Arrangements have been made on the portal to regularly monitor and track the location of vehicles assigned with the task of oxygen supply so that oxygen can be supplied to the hospitals in the shortest possible time as per the demand and requirement.

Indian Railways and Indian Air Force have also been deployed to help quicken the transport of oxygen. In addition, a blueprint was also prepared to meet the challenges in the coming days.

It was because of the rural micro management, oxygen real time management and test, trace and treat mantra, the UP government was again successful in corona management in spite of its population density as compared to other states.

Chief Minister Adityanath has decided to set up an oxygen plant for the availability of oxygen in all the districts keeping in mind the future needs.

As per the order of the High Court, the UP government had to conduct panchayat elections and there was a possibility of the spread of infection in rural areas.

Keeping this in mind, Adityanath activated the monitoring committees (which were formed during the first wave of infection) to take stock of the Covid situation in the state and extend help to those in need.

It is worth mentioning that 60,569 monitoring committees are working in 58,194 gram panchayats and 97, 509 revenue villages of UP.

A total of 25,577 containment zones have been created and 2 lakh medical kits have been distributed till the day before this article was written.

In addition, sanitation campaign is being conducted in villages and sanitation and fogging activities are being undertaken on a routine and frequent basis.

To monitor this massive activity, WHO observed 2,000 teams visited at least 10,000 households themselves to know whether the corona patients in rural areas were getting medical facilities or not.

After an in-depth review of its team of experts, WHO on its official website has praised the UP government’s micro-management in breaking the chain of Covid infection and controlling the surge in rural areas.

As one studies the UP model closely, it becomes clear that Adityanath’s vision and his micro and macro strategy of test, trace, treat and vaccinate were the basic foundation of this model.

This then includes dimensions like hygiene, sanitation, door delivery of essentials and partial coronavirus curfew (not complete lockdown so that industrial units could operate in compliance with the Covid protocol, employing daily wage earners who are not deprived of their livelihood) which could reduce the social contact.

It was while implementing this strategy, Adityanath himself tested positive for Covid.

This UP model of Covid management has lowered the number of deaths (per million) in the state as compared to other states, especially Maharashtra and Delhi. It should be noted that the population of Maharashtra is about half of that of UP and Delhi is almost equal to 1/12^th of UP.

However, Uttar Pradesh is in a far better position than Maharashtra and Delhi in terms of Covid management.

Despite the total population of developed countries of Europe like Italy, Spain, England and France being equal to Uttar Pradesh, the state has been successful in safeguarding the lives and livelihood of its people and this has been possible due to the robust strategy and alacrity of the Adityanath government.

Nonetheless, Uttar Pradesh has once again set an example in dealing with the pandemic with efficiency and firmness through its micro and macro management strategy.