New Delhi: Why the central government is not showcasing the Kerala model of fighting the novel coronavirus that has swiftly flattened the curve? This is the big question before the central government. During the daily press briefings by the Union Health Ministry, the Centre had highlighted the working of Ahmedabad COVID hospital in Gujarat and also underscored the preventive measures taken by Agra city in UP to halt the spread of coronavirus through powerpoint presentations.
To a question on why there is no spotlight on the Kerala model, Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said that the south Indian state was doing a good job and salient features of the Kerala model would be enumerated in the coming days.
10 lakh kits
The Centre said that 10 lakh ‘made in India’ test kits would be produced by May end. These kits are meant for testing swabs and making rapid tests. As many as 6,000 ventilators would also be made available through domestic production means, and moreover, earnest efforts are on to develop a coronavirus vaccine.
Treatment for other diseases
The Centre had issued directions to postpone elective surgeries and take the telemedicine route to treat non-serious ailments in the backdrop of the coronavirus scare. There are also directions that all hospitals, except the COVID-19-designated ones, should be all geared up to provide treatment to patients with other serious diseases.
Revised guidelines
The hotspots and surrounding protected areas will be under strict surveillance and the entry and exit points of these regions will be closely monitored. Transportation relating to essential services will be allowed only through passes taken in advance. All roads, including rural ones, will be under police surveillance and the Centre has issued requisite orders for that.
1919 COVID Hospitals
The number of Covid-19- designated hospitals has trebled in the past four days. Presently, there are 1919 such hospitals in various states across the country. Moreover, there are 1.73 lakh isolation beds and 21,800 ICU beds.
