PM Modi Reviews COVID-19 Situation, Stresses States Should Not Let COVID Vaccination Speed Go Down

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (May 6) held a comprehensive review of the public health response to COVID-19 where he said states should be given help and guidance for ramping up healthcare infrastructure, while the need for ensuring holistic containment measures was also discussed. During the review, the Prime Minister also stressed the need to sensitise states so that the speed of vaccination against COVID-19 doesn’t come down and was briefed that around 31 per cent of the eligible population over the age of 45 has been given at least one dose, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

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The prime minister was given a detailed picture on the COVID-19 outbreak in various states and districts, and was informed about the 12 states which have more than 1 lakh active cases, the PMO said. He was also apprised about the districts with high burden of the disease, the statement said. PM Modi reviewed the progress of vaccination and the roadmap for scaling up production of vaccines in the next few months. During the comprehensive review of the COVID-19 related situation in the country, the prime minister was informed that around 17.7 crore vaccines have been supplied to the states.

Also Read: PM Modi Interacts With Vaccine Manufacturers, Urges Them To Scale Up Production Capacity

PM Modi also reviewed state-wise trends on vaccine wastage, the statement said. Citizens should be facilitated for vaccination despite lockdowns and healthcare workers involved in inoculation must not be diverted for other duties, the prime minister said.

PM Modi was also briefed about the ramping up of healthcare infrastructure by the states. He directed that states should be given help and guidance about leading indicators to ramp up healthcare infrastructure, the PMO said. The need to ensure quick and holistic containment measures was also discussed, it said.

Also Read: PM Modi Calls Upon The Youth To Help Maintain COVID-Appropriate Behaviour, Says Lockdown Last Resort

PM Modi noted that an advisory was sent to the states to identify districts of concern where case positivity is 10 per cent or more and bed occupancy is more than 60 per cent on either oxygen supported or ICU beds.

The prime minister also reviewed the availability of medicines and was briefed about the rapid augmenting of production of medicines including Remdesivir, according to the PMO. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Commerce and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya, among other ministers and top officials, were present at the meeting.

Also Read: Government Is Committed To Ensuring Adequate Availability Of COVID Vaccines, Increase RT-PCR Testing: PM Modi

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.