In keeping with the present health crisis, the Ministry of Health &Family Welfare along with Group of Ministers (GoM) discussed ways and means to strengthen the capacity of states to devote adequate resources for creating dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, equipping medical institutes with PPEs
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare chaired a meeting on COVID-19 via video conferencing. Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Home, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping, & Chemical and Fertilisers and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare were present, along with Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff.
Preeti Sudan, Secretary, (HFW), Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Dr Balram Bhargava, Secretary DHR & Director General ICMR, Ravi Capoor, Secretary (Textiles), Sanjeeva Kumar, Spl Secretary (Health), Sanjay Bandopadhyay, Addl Secretary (Shipping), Dammu Ravi, Additional Secretary Ministry of External Affairs, Anil Malik, Addl Secy (MHA), Dr Rajiv Garg, DGHS and Sh Lav Agarwal, JS (MoHFW) along with other officials from Army, ITBP, Pharma, DGCA and Textiles were also present.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) had detailed certain measures on the prevention and management of COVID-19 in the meeting. The GoM also discussed the actions taken so far, such as the current status of social distancing measures as a preventive strategy and the stringent actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 by the States so far.
The GoM discussed ways to strengthen the capacity of states, that includes devoting adequate resources for creating dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, equipping medical institutes with PPEs, ventilators and other essential equipment etc. States have been asked to ensure that essential services and supplies remain open. These include hospitals, medical shops and establishments engaged in manufacturing of medicines, vaccines, sanitisers, masks and medical devices. GoM was also informed that Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, MP and J&K are setting up hospitals dedicated for the management of COVID-19. A total of 118 laboratories have been included in the ICMR network of COVID-19 testing. The GoM) was also apprised that the Cabinet Secretary has also written letters and conducted a video conference with Chief Secretaries, Health Secretaries and DGs of Police and instructed them to enforce implementation of lockdown measures.
Highlighting the critical importance of social distancing as an effective strategy for prevention of COVID-19 and limiting the spread of the disease, Dr Harsh Vardhan reiterated his appeal to all those who are at home and facility quarantine about observing it according to the protocol laid down by the Health Ministry, and which is also available at the Ministry website.
Dr Vardhan further added that around 64,000 persons have arrived from other countries to India since March 21, 2020, out of which 8,000 have been put in various quarantine facilities and 56,000 are in home isolation. “We are fighting infectious disease. To protect ourselves and others, it is paramount that we follow all the protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the Government, failing which may lead to legal actions u/s 188 of IPC.”
Dr Vardhan also reiterated his appeal to everyone to not ostracise doctors and other medical staff who are on the forefront of this health emergency and serving the nation to save us from COVID-19. We should also avoid spreading rumours or un-authenticated information, he added.
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