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PM interacts with DMs of worst-hit districts on Covid management
“All of you have an important role in this war against Corona. You are the field commander of this war in a way, who give shape to the policy, and fight on the ground and take decisions according to the situation,” he said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held an online interaction with chief ministers and district magistrates of the districts that have been worst affected in the second wave of the pandemics, and asked them to convey their best practices to him so that these can be shared widely. He also called the district administration “field commanders” who are in the frontline of the war against the pandemic.
“All of you have an important role in this war against Corona. You are the field commander of this war in a way, who give shape to the policy, and fight on the ground and take decisions according to the situation,” he said. The PM referred to local containment zones, aggressive testing and providing correct and complete information to the people as “weapons against this virus.”
The interaction was held to receive feedback from states on the measures taken to reduce the spread of the infection, ramp up medical infrastructure and other initiatives taken by the administration.
“I want to tell you… if you think that the government policy at the district level needs innovation in the policy to strengthen it, you have the freedom to do so. If you think the innovation that you have made is good for the whole district or the country, it should be sent to the government. If you think there is a need to make any change in the policy, give us that feedback also without any hesitation because the war is such that we all need to think together and innovate together,” the PM said.
In the wake of complaints from states over the availability of Covid vaccines, the PM assured that there is a plan to ensure that states get a 15-day advance schedule of available vaccine. “Vaccine wastage must be stopped and optimum utilisation is a must,” he added.
The PM also cautioned that there is a need to remain vigilant even in places where the daily numbers are dipping. “We have to stop the scale of infection from rising by taking correct steps such as testing, tracking, isolation and adopting Covid appropriate behaviour,” he said.
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He also called for attention to rural areas as well as in remote areas. “We have to ensure that there is health infrastructure to meet challenges... this should be done on a priority basis,” he said.
The PM said during the first wave last year, many villages had devised their own best practices. “Last time, there was no lockdown of the farming sector. I was astonished to see how villagers were maintaining social distancing even while working in the fields. They grasped the information and modified it according to their needs. This is the strength of villages,” he said.
While he asked the states to ensure strict compliance to Covid appropriate behavior, he said attention should be given to “ease of living” to ensure minimal inconvenience to people, and called for action against those involved in black marketing of critical medicines, and equipment such as Remdesivir, oxygen concentrators, and oxygen cylinders.
The PM also instructed the administrators to keep up the morale of those on frontlines and of those in home isolation. “As a large section of people are in home isolation, it creates confidence in them to fight the challenge better if somebody from the administration visits them and supplies oxymeters or drugs. This should be done at all district levels,” the PM said.
He said all preparations must be made in states where hospitals are scheduled to receive oxygen plants through the PM-CARES fund.
Union home minister Amit Shah and health secretary Rajesh Bhushan were also present in the meeting with the CM’s from states such as Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. District magistrates of Patna, Bengaluru urban, Indore, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Shimoga, and Kolar were also present.
