‘Deal with possible surge immediately’
Concerned at the rapid infection rate of Omicron Covid variant in various countries, the Government on Thursday asked States to ensure adequate buffer stock of eight critical drugs and make sure all hospitals are ready to deal with any possible surge in cases.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan held a review meeting with senior officials of States and Union Territories on Thursday and urged them to ensure the availability of adequate buffer stock of critical drugs used for the treatment of the Covid-19.
The meeting was held in the wake of the detection of a number of cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus in India.
Speaking to Health Secretaries and National Health Mission directors via video conference, Bhushan said all health facilities should have functional ventilators, PSA plants, and oxygen concentrators.
India has reported 23 cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 so far from Jaipur, Pune, Delhi, and Karnataka. Most of those who tested positive either recently arrived from African countries or were in contact with such people.
“States were informed that many ventilators supplied by the Centre are still lying unpacked and unused at some field hospitals, with consumables not being procured and made available by the States,” said a statement from the Union Health Ministry.
“This needs to be reviewed immediately to ensure that all PSA oxygen plants, oxygen concentrators and ventilators are installed and are functioning,” it added.
The five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccinate-adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour was highlighted as the mainstay of public health response strategy for effective and timely control and management of the pandemic.
The States and UTs have also been asked to enhance testing and focus on surveillance to ensure the early identification of suspected cases for prompt isolation and further clinical management. They were also asked to ensure the availability of RT-PCR testing facilities in all districts, the statement said.
“Districts reporting higher case positivity were alerted to monitor the case trajectory regularly, and to promptly dispatch positive samples to the mapped INSACOG labs for genomic sequencing,” it said.
Close monitoring of emerging hotspots/clusters, breakthrough and re-infection cases, and a prompt investigation was discussed. It was re-emphasised that all contacts for positive patients are to be traced and tested according to the protocol as quickly as possible, the statement said.
Keeping the winter season in mind, they were advised that the prevalence of influenza-like illness, severe acute respiratory infection and respiratory distress symptoms need to be closely monitored, it added.
