By: Shree1news, 25 DEC 2021
Union health ministry will be deploying central teams of professionals with nodal officials to 10 states which have been showing a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases.
The disaster management cell of the health ministry issued a directive on Friday informing about the deployment of multi-disciplinary central groups.
“In view of the rapid surge in cases, and deaths, because of Covid-19… noted in internal reviews, it has been seen that the number of Omicron cases has emerged in some states. It has also been observed that the pace of Covid-19 vaccination in these states is less than the national average. In wake of this situation, a decision has been taken to deploy multi-disciplinary central teams to 10 identified states some of which are either reporting an increasing number of Omicron and Covid-19 cases or slow vaccination pace to aid the efforts of the state and district administration for management of Covid-19,” read the health ministry’s office memorandum that HT has seen.
The states where the teams may be sent are Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Punjab.
The teams will be stationed in these identified states for 3 to 5 days, as per requirement, and will work along with the state health authorities.
The teams have been specifically tasked to look at contact tracing, along with surveillance, containment operations; Covid-19 testing along with sending of adequate samples from clusters to Insacog lab network for genome sequencing; Covid appropriate behaviour and its enforcement; availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics which includes ambulances, ventilators, medical oxygen etc; and Covid-19 vaccination development.
“The state-level central teams will assess the situation, suggest remedial actions and submit a report every evening by 7 pm on the public health activities being undertaken to the disaster management cell (health ministry) besides submitting the same to state government…,” the order read.