From Krishnan Nayar
NEW DELHI, 10th January 2022 (WAM) – With COVID-19 infections surging daily, India’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, has urged states to establish tele-consultation hubs in every district.
"They should work round the clock so that those who seek expert advice do not have to travel the distance to district headquarters, but can be advised at the block levels, through a hub and spoke model," he urged Health Ministers of several states at a virtual meeting.
The meeting was held to review the public health preparedness for containment and management of COVID-19 and the progress of vaccination campaign to fight the pandemic.
Stressing the importance of medical tele-consultations, Dr. Mandaviya said "it is important that people know about the available healthcare services at various levels starting from the block level up to hospital beds, testing facilities and ambulance services. States need to establish Control Rooms to monitor them."
India reported 179,723 new COVID-19 infections today. But hospitalization has been in single digits, far below the 23 per cent of cases which needed hospitalization during a second wave of the pandemic in summer last year. Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, however, warned in a letter to states that "this situation may change rapidly."
In excess of one million Indians today received their booster vaccination shots meant for health workers and the vulnerable elderly.