E-Paper
PM Modi holds review meet as coronavirus cases climb to 34 in India
The prime minister said people should be advised to avoid mass gatherings as much as possible and made aware of the do’s and don’ts. He also praised all departments for the work undertaken so far to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the coronavirus outbreak in the country at a meeting with health officials and asked them to identify locations for sufficient quarantine facilities. He also told the officials to make arrangements for critical care in case the disease spreads further.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan, his deputy Ashwini Kumar Choubey, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Niti Ayog member Vinod Paul, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and other officials.
The prime minister said people should be advised to avoid mass gatherings as much as possible and made aware of the do’s and don’ts. He also praised all departments for the work undertaken so far to contain the spread of coronavirus.
“All departments should work in convergence and action should be initiated for creating awareness in the community about the disease and the precautions to be taken,” the prime minister said in an official statement.
“He exhorted the officers to identify the best ways for coronavirus management from across the world and within the states and ensure their adoption,” the statement read.
PM Modi also emphasized the need for adequate planning and timely response which is critical for managing the infectious disease. According to the statement, the officials were told to plan for early testing and evacuation of Indians from Iran where, according to reports, 145 people have died so far due to the disease.
At the prime minister’s review meeting, Health Secretary Preeti Sudan made a presentation about the current scenario and action taken by the Health Ministry and other supporting ministries regarding preparedness and response to coronavirus. She emphasized on the core areas of surveillance at the point of entry and community, laboratory support, hospital preparedness, logistics and risk communication.
The secretary in the Department of Pharma informed the officials about the availability of sufficient stocks of medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients and other consumables for use in India.
The need for continuous vigil at all airports in the country, ports and border areas, community-level surveillance and the availability of sufficient number of beds for isolation were also discussed in the review meet.
