India Prepares For Plausible COVID-19 Outbreak, Conducts Mock Drills At Hospitals

New Delhi: COVID-19 hospitals across the country are conducting mock drills today (December 27) to assess India’s preparedness to tackle any spurt in Covid cases in the upcoming days. This comes in the backdrop of a sudden rise in Novel Coronavirus cases in various countries including China, the United States and Japan and reports of Omicron sub-variant BF.7. In a letter dated December 24, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had said that it is necessary that in all states and union territories (UTs) requisite public health measures are put in place to meet any exigencies.

Also Read: “Wear Mask, Wash Hands…”: On Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi Urges People To Be Vigilant Amid Surge In COVID-19 Cases

Mr Bhushan had advised a mock drill with the objective of ensuring the operational readiness of health facilities for the management of COVID-19. The focus of the mock drill is on:

• Geographical representative availability of health facilities – covering all districts
• Bed capacities – isolation beds, oxygen-supported isolation beds, ICU beds and ventilator-supported beds
• Availability of human resources
• Human resource capacity – healthcare professionals trained on COVID-19 management, ventilator management protocol, etc
• Referral services –availability of advanced and basic life support ambulances, other ambulances, etc
• Testing capacities
• Logistics availability – availability of drugs, ventilators, etc
• Medical oxygen
• Availability of telemedicine services

Also Read: States, Centre Need To Work In Collaborative Spirit To Prevent COVID Surge: Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

Delhi

Mr Mandaviya reviewed the Covid response mock drill at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi to check its readiness to deal with any surge in the number of coronavirus cases. After the inspection, Mr Mandaviya spoke to the media and said that the government is preparing to keep a check on Covid and ensure that it doesn’t spread. He said,

The mock drill is being conducted to ensure all hospitals are ready to tackle the rise in cases and citizens can access treatment easily. The kind of preparations made at Safdarjung Hospital is being replicated at other government and private hospitals in the country.

Mr Mandaviya categorically said that, in the coming day, the COVID-19 cases might rise and hence, it is critical to be geared up for it.

Delhi’s residents will be able to access real-time data on the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators on a government portal, starting Tuesday, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying.

The Delhi government on Monday (December 26) approved a budget of Rs 104 crore for hospitals to procure general medicines as part of preparations to deal with emergency situations amid a surge in Covid cases in some countries.

On Monday, the health minister had a detailed discussion with state health ministers and doctors from the Indian Medical Association. During the meeting, he said,

Such exercises would help our operational readiness, help in filling gaps if any and will consequently strengthen our public health response.

Also Read: PM Modi Urges Wearing Mask, Ramp Up Testing And Taking Precautionary Dose

Mumbai

In Mumbai, the medical facilities which will conduct the mock drill include the civic-run Seven Hills Hospital (having 1,700 beds) and Kasturba Hospital (35 beds), government-run Cama Hospital (100 beds), St George Hospital (70 beds), Tata Hospital (16 beds), and Jagjivan Ram Hospital (12 beds). The state-run J J Hospital also informed that it will conduct the mock drill.

On Monday (December 26), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a press release sharing the status of the health infrastructure for Covid. BMC has identified 10 civic hospitals, three government hospitals and 21 private hospitals having 2,124 isolation beds, of which 1,523 are functional. The hospitals have 1,613 oxygen-supported beds and of those 1,021 are functional. They have 579 ICU beds, of which 473 are functional and of the 1,079 ventilators, 954 are functional, the release said.

The city has 859 functional oxygen concentrators and 2,933 oxygen cylinders, apart from 79 Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants of 1,468 metric tons capacity and liquid medical oxygen of 268 metric tons capacity, it added.

As far as healthcare workers are concerned, out of the 3,245 doctors, 3,453 paramedics and 5,784 nurses, as many as 2,828 doctors, 3,246 paramedics and 4,029 nurses are trained in COVID-19 management, it said.

To diagnose and track COVID-19 cases, the city has a daily testing capacity of 1,35,035 at 34 hospitals and 49 laboratories, according to the release.

Also Read: “Mask Up India”: Centre Issues COVID-19 Advisory Amid Rise In Infections In Countries Like US And China

Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh, a mock drill was organised in all the district hospitals, community centres and primary health centres. During the mock drill, the oxygen plants, oxygen cylinders and pipes, ICU wards, ventilators and other facilities were inspected and checked to make sure they can be used when needed.

As reported by the news agency PTI, Civil Surgeon of Raipur District Hospital Dr P K Gupta said,

During the mock drill, we checked the oxygen plant, to see if the oxygen is being supplied to the ward. We also turned on two ventilators, in which we saw that the oxygen was flowing well. Around one and half months ago, we admitted a patient in this ward, he had been cured and discharged now. All the machines, oxygen plant and ventilators are in ready mode here. We can use it whenever a patient arrives.

Hyderabad

In an initiative to prevent a shortage of oxygen, the Telangana government established oxygen production plants with a capacity of 324 tonnes in a government hospital in Hyderabad. Shyam Rao, Golconda hospital technician, speaking to the news agency ANI, stated that the oxygen plant is under his management. He said,

There is full availability of oxygen here. Even if 100 corona patients are admitted, we have the capacitor to give them oxygen. Our doctors are available 24/7. The oxygen plant is also running 24/7.

Also Read: ‘Mask Up, Maintain Social Distancing, Avoid International Travel’, Indian Medical Association Issues Advisory On COVID-19

COVID-19 In India

On Tuesday, India reported 156 new cases of COVID-19. On average, 180 fresh cases are reported daily. The government is on alert mode as Covid is creating havoc in China as millions of cases continue to be reported every day. On Saturday (December 24), the random coronavirus testing of international arriving passengers started at Delhi airport. Two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight will be subject to random coronavirus testing at airports.

On Monday, as part of the drill, four foreign nationals tested positive following RT-PCR tests at Bihar’s Gaya Airport and have been kept in isolation at a hotel. The four foreigners – one from Myanmar, one from Thailand and two from England – had come to Bodh Gaya.

A day before, a 40-year-old man, who returned from China on Friday, tested positive for coronavirus.

Also Read: UP Man Who Returned From China Tests Positive, Quarantined At Home

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