New Delhi:
The Minister of Health, Mansukh Mandaviya, will chair a virtual high-level meeting with the Ministers of Health of the Southern States of the Union at 2:30 p.m. today to discuss the COVID-19 situation and public health preparedness , as well as the measures being taken under Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The health ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar Islands will attend the meeting, official sources told ANI.
The meeting will also be attended by senior health officials.
Previously, he held a high-level meeting with nine northern states, UTs and advised sending the COVID testing and vaccination data in a timely manner. He also said testing should be ramped up in the states where it has been administered.
He also advised States and UTs to ensure that home isolation patients are efficiently monitored in line with National Guidelines. He said: “This will ensure that the vulnerable categories of active cases in home isolation receive the required medical care in a timely manner.”
The Union Secretary of Health reiterated the need to ramp up testing in the United States and the UTs. The states/UTs showing a lower proportion of RTPCR testing were requested to increase testing via RTPCR. States and UTs were also reminded to keep a close eye on emerging clusters and hotspots and track the trend of hospitalized cases along with deaths in the state.
Mr Mandaviya said that with our past experience, ‘Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate and adherence to COVID-appropriate behavior’, along with case monitoring, remains critical to COVID management.
The Union’s health minister also urged states and UTs to adopt the teleconsultation model so that beneficiaries can access expert advice from experts.
According to the Union Ministry of Health, “Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya urged states and UTs to adopt the hub-and-spoke model and ensure that more and more teleconsultation centers are opened. enable beneficiaries to obtain expert advice from experts stationed in the district hubs.”
He also said that eSanjeevani has been able to provide services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries, where people can obtain medical advice from their own homes. “This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of tremendous value and importance to the hard-to-reach and remote areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season.”
dr. Mansukh Mandaviya also urged the nine states and UTs to review and accelerate the implementation of activities under the ECRP-II package for strengthening health infrastructure. He said: “The health ministers and the state authorities should fill the existing gaps by efficiently using the sanctioned amount for various infrastructure projects. With a strengthened health infrastructure, we can better prepare for any health crisis and public health crisis.”