By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Dec 26:
Union Health Ministry has written to all the States and Union Territories to hold a mock drill to ensure operational readiness at health facilities for the management of Covid-19 on Tuesday, December 27.
In a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and Secretary (Health) of all States and Union Territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Saturday said that the objective of this exercise is to ensure operational readiness of these health facilities for the management of COVID.
During the mock drill, focus will be on the availability of health facilities, bed capacities, optimal availability of human resources including doctors, nurses and paramedics, availability of advanced and basic life support ambulances, testing capacities and medical oxygen. The mock drill may be done under the overall guidance of District Collectors in close consultation with officers of the Health Department of the State and Union Territories, the letter read.
While the states are gearing up for the mock drill to assess Covid-19 infrastructure — beds, oxygen infrastructure, ventilation units etc, the installed pressure swing adsorption plants in Gujarat would be able to cater to more than 50 per cent requirement of medical oxygen, if such a need arises.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a review meeting last week, and said that precautions are being taken in Maharashtra in the wake of the outbreak of virus. He appealed to the citizens not to panic, in a tweet. Maharashtra Health Secretary Sanjay Khandare on Sunday said that only government facilities would be a part of the mock drill on Tuesday.
India recorded 227 new Covid-19 infections, while the active cases increased to 3,424, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.
Maharashtra on Sunday reported 38 new Covid-19 cases and no new deaths, with Mumbai alone recording nine Covid-19 cases. Across Maharashtra, 20 Covid-19 patients recovered on Sunday, taking Maharashtra’s recovery rate to 98.17 percent and the positivity rate 0.34 percent.
After Mumbai, Pune reported 07 Covid-19 cases. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation reported three new cases and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation reported two new cases. The Thane Municipal Corporation and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) reported one case each. The Oxygen bed capacity of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was shown as 2154.
The Union Health Ministry has made the RT-PCR testing mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. If any passenger is found to be symptomatic or tests positive upon arrival from these places, they would be quarantined.
Mumbai airport handles nearly one lakh travellers per day. The airport tests are aimed at a 2 per cent sample of all incoming international travellers. However of 120 samples screened at Mumbai airport on Saturday, none tested positive.
