English
New Delhi: The pandemic was one of the toughest times faced by everyone in the world and unfortunately, there is a rise in Covid19 cases again, in several states, primarily in Kerala. Amid the rising cases, a high-level meeting has been held, chaired by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister with top officials and chief health secretaries; Dr Rajiv Bahl, director, ICMR , Dr VK Paul, member, Niti Aayog and Dr Saumya Swaminathan, ex DG, ICMR were also in the meeting. He said, “There should be no laxity in our preparedness. There is no room for politics when it comes to public health. The Union Health ministry is available for every support.” Mandaviya assured full central support to the states affected by the recent upsurge in Covid cases, saying they were working with a ‘whole of government’ approach.
He suggested that the healthcare officials in the affected states conduct mock drills in hospitals every three months to ensure preparedness to tackle the upsurge in Covid cases. “We need to be on alert but there is no need to panic. It is important to hold mock drills to ensure the preparedness of hospitals, increased surveillance and effective communication with people.” “We should hold mock drills in all hospitals once every 3 months. I assure the support of the Centre to all the states,” he added. The Union Health Minister also urged states to ensure that preventive measures are taken amid the prevailing cold ahead of the year-end festivities.
On Kerala reporting the highest number of cases at a positivity rate of 21 per cent, state Health Minister Veena George, who was at the meeting, said, “We have increased surveillance and also ramped up testing. We are also regularly reviewing hospital preparedness and stocks of PPE kits and other equipment. Senior citizens, pregnant women, and those with comorbidities are being advised to wear masks.”
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.
