Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi, to take stock of preparedness for COVID under the COVID-19 mock drill. A nationwide mock drill is being held today across all government and private hospitals to review the preparedness of COVID management. This exercise will also continue tomorrow.
States and Union Territories are holding mock drill exercise to ensure readiness of hospital infrastructure across both public and private health facilities in view of rise in COVID cases. During the mock drill, resources available in the hospitals including drugs, ICU beds and medical oxygen for the containment and management of Covid-19 are being assessed.
On Friday, Dr. Mandaviya had held a virtual meeting with State Health Ministers to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and vaccination progress in view of the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases in some states. During the meeting, Dr Mandaviya had asked the State Health Ministers to conduct mock drills at all hospital infrastructure today and tomorrow.
In view of the rise in Covid cases, States and Union Territories have been advised to be on the alert and keep all preparedness for COVID-19 management. They have also been asked to ramp up vaccination of all eligible population, especially of the elderly and vulnerable population group. Union Health Ministry has emphasised that irrespective of the new COVID variants, the five-fold strategy of ‘Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour’ continue to remain the tested strategy for COVID management.