Parliamentary panel suggests coordination over WhatsApp to deal with coronavirus

New Delhi [India], Mar 17 (ANI): Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development on Tuesday suggested coordination over WhatsApp to deal with the situation arising out coronavirus outbreak.

In the meeting held today, it was suggested that all senior officials of four States -- Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan -- should join one centralized WhatsApp group for better coordination to deal with the situation.

"We had a good discussion at the meeting. All the stakeholders were briefed in detail on coronavirus. All members have agreed to create a centralized WhatsApp group for better co-operation and keep the committee informed on a regular basis," a member, who attended the meeting, told ANI.

All officials of the ministry monitoring the extent and impact of coronavirus will now be a part of the WhatsApp group.

The suggestion by the parliamentary panel comes in the wake of apprehensions raised by Members of Parliament about the working of ministries in the current scenario.

Sources said that some MPs specifically demanded that the central communication system be improved among top officials for combating any challenge in a time-bound manner.

Apart from asking the intra-communication system to be strengthened, the panel also advised that private labs be roped in by the government as soon as possible for testing coronavirus among suspected patients.

Sources pointed out that there are 65 labs currently across the country and merely 2,000 tests are being conducted on a daily basis.

The parliamentary panel on urban developments had specially called a joint meeting of officials of Health Ministry, Ministry of Urban Development, Municipal Corporations of Delhi and civic bodies officials and senior officials of three States to discuss coronavirus.

The panel has now sought a future action plan and has asked that the centralized communication among ministries and departments should be improved.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India is 137.