Centre slams Maha, Punjab, C'garh for poor COVID-19 management system

New Delhi, April 12: Witnessing COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh, the Centre has pulled up the three states and has asked them to take suitable measures to correct it. Health Ministry has written the letter after reviewing the reports submitted by Central Health teams regarding COVID19 testing and containment operation.

Pointing out loopholes in the Maharashtra government's COVID-19 management system, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that 30 Central teams deputed in Maharashtra found that the testing capacity of at least eight districts including, Satara, Bhandara, Palghar, are overwhelmed. Satara, Bhandara, Palghar, Amrawati, Jalna, Nanded, Buldhana, and Latur are delaying reporting of test results due to this. The teams pointed out that resistance to testing was also observed in Bhandara. The district is also reporting a large number of cases from outside containment zones.

 

 

He expressed his concern over the shortage of health workers. He said the report stated that lack of oxygen supply and manpower and malfunctioning ventilators were major concerns in the fight against Covid-19 across many districts in Maharashtra. Bushan further highlighted how social distancing norms and other COVID-19 protocols were being flouted by the people in the state. Maharashtra has one of the worst covid hit states in the country. Maharashtra on April 11 recorded logged biggest one-day spike of 63,294 cases, it's highest single-day rise since the pandemic broke out.

 

 

While in the letter to the Chhattisgarh, Rajesh Bhushan stated that the containment zone is not being strictly followed in the state. He also pointed that RTPCR tests are also decreasing in the state.

 

 

Bhushan also pointed out that the hospital bed occupancy rates are high in Balod, Raipur, Durg, and Mahasamund Districts. He emphasised the need to ramp up hospital infrastructure and another logistic requirement to meet any demand arising due to a surge in cases. He has also asked the state government to strengthen the Ambulance services in the Durg.

 

 

 

Besides Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, the government has also written to Punjab and stressed the need to focus on contact tracing in Patiala and Ludhiana. He has also directed the Health department to deploy additional manpower for contact tracing on a priority basis in the Patiala, SAS Nagar, and Rupnagar. The Central team to Patiala and Ludhiana have reported a slow pace of COVID-19 vaccination among persons above 45 years with co-morbidities and those above 60 years.

 

Amid the surge in the case in the country, India is the fastest country to administer 100 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

 

.

.