NEW DELHI: Amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases in the country, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a meeting on Wednesday to review the preparedness of health facilities and services in the country.
The virtual meeting will be attended by health ministers and additional chief principal secretaries (health) of all states and Union Territories (UTs) and concerned officials of Central ministries and departments, officials said.
The Centre on Monday issued an advisory to states to monitor and keep a vigil, as India has recorded an uptick of respiratory illness cases and a spike in Covid-19 cases. The advisory has also come as India detected its first case of the new JN.1 variant of the coronavirus in the country. The new variant is leading a surge in many countries, especially the US, Singapore and China.
As the cases are spiking in some southern states, especially Kerala, where one death was reported, officials said that the minister will review the response preparedness of health facilities and services in view of the recent upsurge in respiratory illnesses such as Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), including Covid, in a few states.
He will also take stock of the status of the availability of medical oxygen, hospital beds, ventilators, drugs, diagnostics and referral transport, as well as that of ILI/SARI surveillance measures. In an advisory on Monday, the ministry said, “As Covid-19 virus continues to circulate and its epidemiology behaviour gets settled in Indian weather conditions, along with circulation of other usual pathogens, it is of utmost importance that we maintain a state of constant vigil over the Covid situation, right up to the district levels.”
