COVID: Harsh Vardhan urges state health ministers to ramp up testing, tracking & treatment

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday held a meeting via video conferencing with Health Ministers of Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana to review the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination drive and the steps to accelerate it. While stating that more than 95 lakh healthcare workers have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Union Health Minister said that over 65 lakh of the healthcare workers have been administered their second dose of the vaccination. 

Harsh Vardhan urges to follow COVID appropriate behaviour

During the meeting with the Health Ministers of differents states, Harsh Vardhan said that there was a sudden surge in the COVID-19 cases across the country, which increased the pressure on the health infrastructure in the last few weeks. Stating that despite the pressure, everyone has intensified their efforts to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union Health Minister urged everyone to follow COVID appropriate behaviour. 

Urging the states to strengthen the strategy of the test, track and treat, Harsh Vardhan said, "India recorded 3,48,412 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. It is also very satisfying that 3,55,338 patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours. Gradually, the number of active cases will reduce."

Informing that the testing capacity across the country has increased to over 25 lakh, the Health Minister informed that there are 2,527 testing labs across the country. Vardhan said, "The rise in the cases of Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, and Uttrakhand is a matter of concern." Mentioning that the number of COVID cases in Punjab are again rising, he said, "The positivity rate of Haryana and Bihar has increased." There is a surge in COVID-19 cases in J&K as well, he added. 

"As many as 17,52,35,991 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered across the country. 95,82,449 healthcare workers have been administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 65,39,376 have been administered the second dose. As many as 30,44,463 beneficiaries aged between 18-44 years have been vaccinated for their first dose since May 1," the Union Health Minister said.

He also urged the states to prioritise the people whose second dose is pending. He also assured that the vaccine production will go up to 8 crores by the end of May and up to nine crores by the end of June. Harsh Vardhan urged the states to minimise vaccine wastage during the meeting.

(Image: PTI, Pixabay)