This week, top health officials in India met to assess how the global Covid-19 pandemic could evolve and affect the country, as well as how to ensure that the healthcare system is fully prepared to respond to a possible surge in cases during the holiday season.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, state health officials “assured” the central government in New Delhi on Friday at a meeting chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya that “they will hold mock drill for readiness of hospital infrastructure” on December 27. The nature of the exercises is unknown, but state health ministers were instructed to “personally monitor and review the preparedness of all infrastructure and ensure there is an adequate stock of essential medicines.”
“There is no need to be alarmed. “We have three years of experience in pandemic management,” Dr Mandaviya tweeted following the meeting, assuring citizens that the central government would “take action” if necessary and provide states with “all the support they need to combat Covid-19.”
While daily Covid-19 cases in India have been steadily declining in recent months, New Delhi is concerned about outbreaks in other countries and the possibility of the situation worsening during the holiday season.
“Covid is not yet finished. “I have directed all concerned to be alert and strengthen surveillance,” the minister said earlier this week, announcing that India would begin randomly testing around 2% of international travelers arriving at its airports.
The decision to hold a nationwide “mock drill” comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted another high-level meeting to assess the overall Covid-19 situation and the status of the vaccination campaign, as well as the country’s health infrastructure and logistics readiness for the possible emergence of new Covid-19 variants.
China, India’s neighbor, is currently experiencing an increase in Covid-19 infections following the abrupt lifting of strict restrictions earlier in December.
China, where infections were nearly zero earlier this year, reported 3,761 new cases but no deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections this week to 14,285, with seven fatalities.
