Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : April 6, 2021 7:43 AM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reviewed the current situation in the country in a high-level meeting that he chaired on Sunday.
The number of COVID-19 cases have gone up steeply across the country with 10 states accounting for more than 91 per cent of cases. Many states are taking measures to ensure that people comply with the precautionary measures and the authorities are cracking down on violators. But is this enough to ensure that the gains made in the fight against COVID-19 in the last 15 months do not go to waste now? Taking cognizance of the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reviewed the current situation in the country in a high-level meeting that he chaired on Sunday. He exhorted the states and districts reporting high cases to continue on the "mission-mode" approach. He stressed on the importance of stringent measures with comprehensive restrictions in places so that the collective gains of Covid management in the country are not squandered.
One of the reasons for the steep rise in cases may be because of the severe decline in compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour, primarily in terms of use of masks and maintaining '2 Gaj ki Doori', pandemic fatigue and lack of effective implementation of containment measures at the field level. Although the exact contribution of mutant strains to the escalation of cases in some states remains speculative, the measures to control the pandemic remain the same and hence, implementation of various protocols for COVID-19 management are all the more critical in those areas.
The Prime Minister stressed on the need for awareness of the community witnessing high surge to curb the spread. "Public involvement is paramount and there is a need to continue Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan for COVID-19 management," he said. He mentioned that the five-fold strategy of Testing, Tracing, Treatment, Covid appropriate behaviour, and Vaccination, if implemented with utmost seriousness and commitment, would be effective in curbing the spread of the pandemic.
In the review meeting, it was decided to hold a special campaign for Covid appropriate behaviour with emphasis on 100 per cent face mask usage, personal hygiene and sanitation at public places, workplaces and health facilities. The campaign will be organised from April 6 to 14.
The Prime Minister also said that it is important to ensure the availability of beds, testing facilities and timely hospitalization of all patients to keep a check on mortality rate. Healthcare infrastructure needs to be ramped up and hospitals need to ensure the availability of oxygen and ventilators besides required logistics to ensure that clinical management protocols are followed across all hospitals as well as for those in-home care.
He directed that central teams consisting of public health specialists and clinicians be sent to Maharashtra in view of high case load and deaths, and likewise to Punjab and Chhattisgarh because of the disproportionate number of deaths being reported there. Maharashtra, Punjab and Chhattisgarh are of serious concern with their highest contribution in Covid cases. As of date, Maharashtra has contributed 57 per cent of total cases in the last 14 days and 47 per cent of deaths during the same period. Similarly, though Chhattisgarh has only contributed 4.3 per cent of total cases in the country over the last 14 days, its contribution in total death has exceeded 7 per cent during the same period.
(With inputs from IANS)
