The Centre is all prepared to meet the infrastructural and vaccine requirements of Gujarat and five other states of the country that are leading in the number of coronavirus cases, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a virtual Covid-19 preparedness review meeting on Monday.
Besides Gujarat, health ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, were also present at the review meeting that took place in the afternoon.
“That being said, the states themselves have to ensure that all Covid-appropriate guidelines are being followed and proper use of existing resources are made,” Mandaviya said.
The Union Health Minister also urged the participating states to ensure that “all kinds of oxygen infrastructure be checked such that it is in a functional/operational state”.
Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel informed Mandaviya of the state’s capability to curb the third wave of coronavirus. He provided the Union Health Minister with detailed information about the availability of beds, ventilators and oxygen, tracing-tracking and isolation in case of need, medicines in hospitals, quantity of vaccines, infrastructural facilities for treatment available in the state.
“Of all the Omicron cases in the state, 98% have recovered in home isolation. The number of critical cases and Covid-related hospitalizations are very less in numbers in Gujarat,” Patel informed the Union Health Minister
Mandaviya also urged the states to speed up the vaccination drive and ensure the maximum population is inoculated in the shortest span of time possible.
The Centre had earlier in the day clarified that the vaccination centre can be kept open till 10 pm, depending on the infrastructural and staff capacities of the state. In most districts of Gujarat, however, the government-run free vaccination camps are open till 3 pm or 5 pm.
Earlier in the day, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to his counterparts in states and Union territories warning them of a possible change in the number of hospitalisations. He said in the present surge, five to 10 per cent of active cases have required hospitalisation so far. However, the situation is dynamic and evolving, and the need for hospitalisation may change rapidly, he added.
