Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday directed officials to ensure sufficient availability of all essential medical equipment such as personal protective equipment, masks, gloves and ventilators after reviewing India’s preparedness to deal with COVID-19.
Presiding over a meeting of the various empowered groups set up to respond to the pandemic, he took stock of the availability of hospitals, isolation and quarantine facilities as well as disease surveillance, testing and critical care training, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a series of tweets.
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"PM @narendramodi reviewed countrywide preparedness regarding availability of hospitals, proper isolation and quarantine facilities as well as disease surveillance, testing and critical care training,” the PMO said in one of the tweets.
Last Sunday, the government had constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to scale up health care facilities, put the economy back on track and mitigate problems faced by citizens as quickly as possible after the 21-day lockdown, which was imposed on March 25.
A notification issued by Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla had said the empowered groups will identify problem areas and provide effective solutions, delineate policy, formulate plans, strategise operations and take all necessary steps for effective and time-bound implementation of plans, strategies or decisions in their respective areas.
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Of these 11 empowered groups, nine are headed by secretary-level officers, one by a NITI Aayog member and another by the NITI Aayog CEO.
The groups include the empowered group on medical equipment and management plan, empowered group on availability of hospitals, empowered group on essential drugs, medical equipment, empowered group on augmenting human resources by MSME and empowered group on facilitating supply chain and logistics management.
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Besides these, empoered groups to coordinate with private sector NGOs and international organisations, on public grievances and suggestions, on public awareness, on technology, strategic issues relating to lockdown and on economy and welfare have also been set up.
