States urged to closely monitor cases in home isolation and hospitals, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan Asked to augment the hospital infrastructure as well as human resources to meet any surge in hospitalisations.
The Center has also suggested states that MBBS final year students, junior residents, nursing students and retired professionals be used to ensure that there is no shortage of healthcare workers.
during the second surge of covid The percentage of active cases in the country that required hospital care was in the range of 20-23%, Grace Said in a letter to the states and union territories.
“In the current surge, 5-10% of active cases have required hospitalization so far. The situation is dynamic and evolving, so the need for hospitalization may also change rapidly,” Bhushan said in the letter.
India has registered a 28-fold increase in daily Covid-19 cases in the last 14 days. On Sunday, around 1.8 lakh daily cases were reported from across the country, while the daily positives rose to around 13.3%. Sources reveal that cases in major metro cities are likely to peak in January itself as many cities are reporting doubling in less than two days.
Bhushan directed the states to monitor the requirement and availability of health workers on a daily basis, apart from monitoring oxygen and ICU beds, and ventilator support. The current increase in cases appears to be driven by the type of concern (VOC) Omicron and the continued presence of another VOC delta in large geographic areas across the country, he said.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Also reviewed the public health preparedness for COVID-19 in a high level meeting with the Health Ministers of the States and Union Territories. Mandaviya reiterated the importance of testing, tracking, treating, immunizing and adhering to appropriate COVID practices. Health Ministers and Officials of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Dadra and Nagra Haveli Also Daman and Diu participated in the meeting.
The Center advised the states to conduct regular reviews of strengthening health infrastructure, set up tele-consultation centers in every district and focus on widespread awareness about the infrastructure and health services available.
Bhushan said that all states and union territories are advised to keep a daily watch on the total number of active cases, cases under home isolation, number of hospitalized cases, status of oxygen beds, ICU beds and ventilatory support. Bhushan said in the letter, “Based on this monitoring, the requirement of health workers and their availability at the health facility should also be reviewed daily, as was done during the second surge.”
Mandaviya urged the states to make strong preparations in terms of physical infrastructure and use the funds approved under the second emergency COVID relief package efficiently and asked the state health ministers to review the implementation of physical activities.
,