Vardhan reviews coronavirus management preparedness with states, UTs

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan held a meeting on Friday to review preparedness for managing coronavirus outbreak and stressed on the importance of states keeping quarantine facilities, isolation wards and testing labs in active readiness.

So far, India has 31 confirmed cases of the infection while nearly 29,000 people have been put under surveillance.

Vardhan held the meeting with health ministers and chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories, Central ministers and representatives from organisations concerned through video conferencing and underlined the importance of communicating with the masses and rasing awareness about steps to prevent spread of the virus.

He asked the states to mount information education and communication campaign to deal with misconceptions about the ailment.

"The Union health minister stressed on the importance of states keeping quarantine facilities, isolation wards and testing labs in active readiness," an official said.

At the meeting, the revised travel advisory as well as advisory about mass gatherings were reviewed and shared with the states and Union Territories.

The states were asked to monitor the airport management in coordination with airport public health officers and airport managers to ensure effective screening of passengers, a statement said.

Vardhan reviewed the status of preparedness in terms of availability of beds, isolation wards, laboratory readiness for high test volumes of the states.

He also reiterated the need to ensure that healthcare workers are duly protected from infection while they perform their duties.

The states were advised to strengthen and judiciously monitor border screenings both at land border check points and ports, the statement said.

Vardhan urged the states to involve elected representatives in dealing with the coronavirus scare and sensitize them about the disease and basic public health measures.

A day-long national-level training programme on COVID-19 has also been organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The programme was attended by around 280 health officials from all states, hospitals of the railways, defence and paramilitary forces.