Uttarakhand forms committee to improve response in dealing with spike in Covid-19 cases
Uttarakhand has reported over 300 Covid-19 positive cases in the past five days, which prompted the state government to form the expert panel and working groups.
The Uttarakhand government has formed a committee of experts and different working groups in a bid to improve its response in dealing with a recent spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases in the hill state.
Uttarakhand has reported over 300 Covid-19 positive cases in the past five days, which prompted the state government to form the expert panel and working groups.
Amit Singh Negi, health secretary, Uttarakhand, said that pre-emptive action would be taken in light of a spike in Covid-19 positive cases.
“We’ve formed a committee of experts as everyone’s inputs -- be it private or government doctors -- and different departments such as disaster management, health, etc; are welcome. The state government is trying to find out the best possible care for Covid-19 patients. The panel has been entrusted with the task to flatten the curve and advise the government accordingly,” said Negi.
Different working groups have been urged to ramp up the additional testing facilities along with monitoring and oversight of Covid-19 care centres with a special emphasis on logistics and amenities, information technology (IT) and Management Information System (MIS) initiatives, training and capacity building, the secretary added.
“We’ve divided the responsibility among different IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officers in the state and roped in officials from almost every department in a bid to equally divide the responsibility and a collaboration of ideas from all the spheres. We’ve formed an MIS, which will give us a reality check about our shortcomings such as lack of face masks, ventilators, quarantine facilities, and other healthcare infrastructure and how they can be overcome,” Negi said.
Some aspects of the MIS would be made accessible to the public, where they could file their complaints about those who are flouting quarantine norms, or not wearing face masks, he added.
Uttarakhand has reported 438 Covid-19 cases so far, including 79 patients who have recovered. The rate of infection stands at 2.28% in Uttarakhand, while the doubling rate in the hill state -- in the last seven days -- is 3.99 days.