Mock drill to check Covid preparedness to be held in various hosps

MP | 11 Apr 2023 | KOLKATA: With a recent surge in Covid cases in the country, the state Health department is set to issue necessary directives to all 31 state-run hospitals already demarcated for Covid treatment. Health department has again identified these hospitals for Covid treatment if the infection rate goes up. 

Mock drill to check Covid preparedness will be carried out in various hospitals in the state on Tuesday. Health department will issue necessary instructions to the hospitals through video conferencing. Besides enhancing genome sequencing, 'Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate’ and Covid-Appropriate Behaviour' continue to remain the response strategy. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is tracking a variant of interest (VOI), XBB.1.5, and six other variants are under monitoring (BQ.1, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, XBB, XBF and XBB.1.16). States and union territories were also requested to immediately increase the rate of testing from 100 tests per million. 

After the ministry of health had announced nationwide mock drills on Monday and Tuesday to assess hospital preparedness, many states carried out mock drills on Monday while Bengal will perform mock drills in hospitals on Tuesday. Both public and private facilities are set to take part in the drills. 

Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting Friday to ask state health ministers to monitor the mock drills in their state hospitals. State and district health departments have also been urged to analyse the ability to tackle the rise in coronavirus infections. 

Mandaviya also emphasised on the need to identify emergency hotspots by checking trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, increasing testing and vaccination, and ensuring readiness of hospital infrastructure. State health department has laid emphasis on surveillance. 

All the districts will submit reports to the state health department regarding the current status of infrastructure in the district hospitals. Covid positivity rate touched nearly 3 per cent in the state while last week, the rate remained at 1.1 per cent. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/over-58l-attend-more-than-90k-duare-sarkar-camps-till-monday-514803?infinitescroll=1