In the wake of faster spread of Covid-19 pandemic during the second wave, the Union Health Minister today assessed the facilities available including the oxygen supply in the trauma centre of AIIMS for the Covid patients. In the review meeting, besides the AIIMs head Randeep Guleria, other doctors of the hospital were also present.

Vardhan said during the second wave, the country is more equipped to tackle the crisis on the back of experience and knowledge gained in the first wave. There is no dearth of resources or vaccines but the challenge is how to overcome it.

“Covid-appropriate behaviour implementation is the biggest challenge before us. People have become casual during the second wave. We are doing everything to speed up vaccination and bring more vaccines into the country. We have already given ventilators to the states and they are not demanding more because they are not able to use the current ones because of lack of space. In the last week we took many decisions to strengthen the supply of oxygen on the same dynamic pattern as we did last year,” Vardhan said.

Exclusive wards

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Friday asked all the ministries to issue instructions to the hospitals under their control or their PSUs to set-up exclusive dedicated hospital wards or separate blocks within the hospitals for Covid Care, as was done last year.

“These Hospitals/Blocks should have separate entry and exit points for the management of Covid-19 cases, to provide treatment services including specialised care for the confirmed Covid-19 cases. Additionally, these dedicated hospital wards or blocks have to be equipped to provide all supportive and ancillary services including Oxygen supported beds, ICU beds, ventilators and specialised Critical Care Units (wherever available), laboratory services, imaging services, kitchen, laundry, etc., along with dedicated health work force,” said the government release.

The central ministries have also been advised that details of such dedicated hospital wards/blocks are provided to the public, duly coordinating with the respective health departments of States/UTs and the district health administration of the States/districts wherever these hospitals are located, the release further added.

Corona tally

On Friday, India reported record rise cases of coronavirus till 8:00 am at 2,17,353, with 1,185 deaths in the last 24 hours.

Cumulatively, the Covid cases stood at 14,291,917 of which active cases are 1,569,743 , recovered are 12,547,866 and death toll was 1,74,308. The total anti-Covid jabs provided so far stood at 11,72,23,509 of which 27,30,359 shots were given till 8:00 AM.

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