COVID virus is back in focus after a surge in infections in some countries, including China. In light of those recent developments, hospitals across India have been carrying out mock drills. These aim to check COVID preparedness in terms of equipment, procedure and manpower at the hospitals.
India's health minister, Dr. Mansuk Mandavia visited the Southdarn hospital in the capital city to monitor the drill. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the government and the citizens to be careful to make sure the country does not witness another COVID surge. He has assured the people that the government is preparing if the COVID cases do increase. The minister has said mock drills are being carried out across the country to make sure that people get proper treatment if necessary. The drills follow an advisory issued by the central government on Monday with regard to COVID These mock drills will include assessment of bed availability, referral resources, testing capacity, medical logistics, telemedicine services and medical oxygen availability, among other things.
The Delhi government portal will now start displaying real time data regarding the number of beds, oxygen cylinders and ventilators in hospitals. A doctor from Hyderabad said that a major part of the drills is to ensure that the pressure swing absorption plant is up to the mark. He said the chief minister of Telangana, K. Chandrashekarao, has advised that more drills be conducted while keeping availability of oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters and the necessary medicines in mind.
Mumbai's civic body is carrying out drills to check the preparedness of the civic hospitals to deal with COVID cases. Doctors say they've been asked to upload all reports collected during these drills on the central government's portal for COVID-19.
For more on this story, our principal correspondent Vishal Shah sent us this report from Mumbai. "Hospitals in India's financial capital city, mumbai carried and conducted mock drills on Tuesday to check the preparedness of health facilities to handle any spike in COVID-19 cases. As we all know that in a sudden wake of rise in COVID-19 cases in some of the countries like Japan, Brazil, South Korea and China, the Union government ordered that all states must conduct mockdrills on Tuesday. And today in Mumbai, we saw a few of the government and civic round hospitals conducting one such mock drill. In fact, we are standing outside one such hospital, which is a civic Crown hospital that conducted the Mockdrill today. As part of this exercise, it is to know the readiness and response of the hospitals to handle the COVID-19 situation. In Mumbai, the BMC has identified more than ten such hospitals designated that will treat COVID-19 patients when sudden cases come into fore. Especially in these hospitals. The Mogul exercises were conducted to check whether the isolation wards are being set up or not, whether there are enough oxygen beds, ICO beds available or not, whether there are enough oxygen and medical facilities or not to treat critical COVID patients as well."
