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Step up infra to tackle high Covid-19 surge: Centre to states

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday reviewed the public health preparedness of State governments to Covid-19 and vaccination coverage. In the virtual interaction with the States, he noted as the Omicron variant is highly transmissible, a huge surge in case can overwhelm the medical system. He advised the States to ramp up the health infrastructure to manage the possible surge.

Mandaviya urged the States to strengthen their teams to work at the ground level and enhance monitoring and containment mechanisms. Focus on planning with regard to the 15-18 age group vaccination and precautionary doses for eligible beneficiaries including healthcare and frontline workers.

Mandaviya also highlighted that the States/UTs have only used just over 17 per cent of the available approved funds under Emergency Covid Response Package (ECRP-II). He urged them to expedite the physical progress under ECRP-II in terms of ICU beds, oxygen beds and paediatric ICU beds.

They were also advised to effectively use IT tools for tele-medicine and tele-consultation, including training and capacity building of human resources. He also wanted the States to ensure timely availability of ambulances, operationalise Covid facilities for institutional quarantining, and effective and supervised monitoring of those in home isolation.

He also said that the Centre is taking various measures to improve infrastructure development and enhance vaccine production.

Meanwhile, the Centre will also hold a series of webinars from January 5 to 19 on various aspects of clinical management of Covid-19 cases in collaboration with AIIMS, Delhi.

In a letter addressed to the States/UTs, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the rising trajectory of Covid cases and Omicron, is a matter of concern and it is crucial to minimise casualties. The Hindu BusinessLine

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