E-Paper
9 states told to boost Covid testing, vaccination
“Cannot help but re-emphasise the need for ramping up testing in the states and UTs. Those states/UTs that are showing a lower share of RT-PCR are requested to ramp up tests,” Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.
Amid a spike in daily Covid-19 cases, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday directed nine states and Union territories to ramp up testing and ensure full vaccination in districts that have shown a lower coverage.
“Cannot help but re-emphasise the need for ramping up testing in the states and UTs. Those states/UTs that are showing a lower share of RT-PCR are requested to ramp up tests,” the health minister said after a review meeting with health ministers, bureaucrats and administrators of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh.
“Also, keep a close watch on the emerging clusters and hot spots and monitor the trend of hospitalised cases along with the deaths in the state,” he said.
The minister stressed that vaccination continued to remain a potent tool to fight the virus.
“Vaccinated people are less prone to severity and hospitalisation as seen in India and globally. Higher hospitalisation is being seen in unvaccinated people and hence, it becomes crucial to vaccinate the unvaccinated,” he said.
“Promote vaccination among the 15-18 age group and ensure full coverage in the districts that have shown a lower coverage of the first and second doses,” he added.
Reiterating that the Centre is dedicated to supporting states and UTs in containment and management of Covid-19, the minister advised them to review and expedite the implementation of activities under the emergency covid relief package-II for strengthening the health infrastructure.
“With strengthened health infrastructure, we can meet any health emergency and public health crisis with better preparedness. Ensure regular updation of availability, occupancy and use of infrastructure like hospital beds, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants, oxygen equipment on the Covid-19 portal- https://covid19.nhp.gov.in/. This updation would help in obtaining a bigger picture and taking data-driven decisions at several levels for efficient public health response,” he said.
Mandaviya asked states to focus on expanding the reach of teleconsultation services to ensure timely healthcare as a substantial number of Covid-19 patients were found recuperating in home isolation.
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s latest guidelines, asymptomatic contacts of a laboratory confirmed Covid-19 case do not require testing unless they are at risk due to their age (if they are older than 60) or if they suffer from certain underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.
“(The government’s) eSanjeevani has been able to provide services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries where people can seek medical advice from the confines of their homes. This will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season. Such expert advice can be provided at the block levels, secondary or primary health centre levels too,” he said.
