Lucknow, Mar 22 (IANS): The medical education department in Uttar Pradesh has sought permission from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to set up coronavirus confirmatory diagnostic facilities in nearly a dozen medical institutes and colleges in the state.

At present, the coronavirus confirmatory diagnostic facility is limited to the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.

With the ICMR's approval, the facility would be set up in about a dozen places, including the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) and medical colleges in Jhansi and Gorakhpur.

Principal Secretary, medical education, Rajneesh Dubey said that he was confident of the permission being obtained in a day or two.

Dubey said that so far, 866 isolation wards had been set up in government and private medical colleges to treat patients of coronavirus and efforts were going on to further increase the facilities.

Dubey, who held a high-level meeting with concerned officials, said that he had directed all government and private medical institutes and colleges to be ready round the clock and ensure there is no crisis for patients.

The principal secretary said that district magistrates had also been asked to inspect isolation wards of private medical colleges and ensure implementation of the guidelines.

Dubey has also released a booklet on infection prevention and management and asked heads of departments to distribute it further.