Even 3 days after COVID testing, patients wait for BU numbers; this delays treatment, cases spike

Bengaluru: As the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases keep rising, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) health department's laxity comes to the fore in Bengaluru. The civic authority’s medical health officers in Bengaluru south have failed to allot the crucial BU number that helps in tracing patients’ primary and secondary contacts.

As a result the virus cases increase. Apart from finding the close contacts which need to be tested to control the spread of the virus, the BU number also helps patients and family in better hospitalisation and seek insurance coverage and also other health benefit schemes promised by the government.

Since the BBMP has to depend on the Bengaluru Urban health department, the BBMP elected representatives think of coming up without numbers or a code that can help in availing the same benefits.