Need To Re-Focus On Efforts Against Omicron: Mandaviya Reviews Preparations For Covid Vaccination

Mandaviya stressed on the continued need to follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour along with renewed and stringent focus on containment measures for addressing the present surge.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya | File Image

New Delhi: Asserting India has “put up a strong fight against Covid earlier and this learning must be used to re-focus on efforts against the Omicron variant”, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday applauded the dedication and patience shown by state administrations in their fight against the pandemic and in simultaneously ensuring the welfare of the people.

Mandaviya stressed on the continued need to follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour along with renewed and stringent focus on containment measures for addressing the present surge.

The Health Minister, who reviewed the public health preparedness to Covid-19 and the progress of national Covid-19 vaccination campaign, noted that countries globally are experiencing three to four times the surge in Covid-19 cases in comparison to their earlier peaks.

With the Omicron variant being highly transmissible and a high surge in case can overwhelm the medical system, he advised the states to leave no stone unturned in ramping up infrastructure to manage a high surge so that India escapes unscathed from this episode of Covid-19.

Stating that measures for preparedness and protection remain the same irrespective of the Covid variants, Mandaviya urged the states to re-invigorate their teams to work at the ground level and strengthen monitoring and containment mechanisms.

The Union Health Ministry in a release this was followed by a comprehensive and detailed discussion on various aspects of Covid management, including ramping up of hospital infrastructure, increased testing, stringent restrictive measures for breaking the chain of transmission, and stress on Covid Appropriate Behaviour among the masses.

Critical bottlenecks in medical infrastructure were also discussed during the virtual meeting attended by the Health Ministers of various states and Principal Secretaries/ Additional Chief Secretaries of the states and Union Territories.

The meeting, held in view of the rising cases of the Omicron variant and the recent decisions to roll-out vaccination for the age group 15-18 years and precautionary dose for identified vulnerable categories, was officiated by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.