DGHS to review COVID-19 preparedness in all Central Govt hospitals

New Delhi: In the wake of the COVID-19 resurgence, a review of the preparedness in all Central Government hospitals in the national capital will be taken by The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a unit of the Union Health Ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reviewed the situation related to Covid-19 in the country at a high-level meeting.

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The meeting comes a day after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the coronavirus situation with high-level officials.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too has called a meeting later today with health officials of the Delhi Government to take stock of the situation, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Gupta said.

Globally there has been a surge in Covid cases with China, USA, France among others reporting a number of new cases.

According to the data from the Union Health Ministry, 131 fresh cases of infection have been detected across the country, while the number of active cases has come down to 3,408.

The Omicron sub-variant BF.7, said to be the reason behind the surge in cases. So far two cases of BF.7 variant have been detected in Gujarat so far, and two in Odisha.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today in a statement in Lok Sabha said that the government has started random RT-PCR sampling among the passengers arriving at International airports in the country amid the recent surge of Coronavirus infection in various countries including China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the United States.

Mandaviya said in his statement in the Lok Sabha while advising the States to make sure that people wear masks, use sanitizers and maintain social distancing even during the festive and the New Year season.

He also encouraged the states to increase awareness towards precautionary doses against Coronavirus.

"We are keeping an eye on the global Covid situation and are taking steps accordingly. The States are advised to increase genome-sequencing to timely identify the new variant of Covid-19," Mandaviya added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting of Team 9 on Covid preparedness in the state in case Covid-19 numbers rise in the state while Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has called a meeting to discuss the Covid-19 preparedness in the state.

The Maharashtra Government too, is rapidly working on Covid preparedness in the state and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will be chairing a review meeting on Thursday in this regard. Maharashtra has recorded 30 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

The external affairs ministry has said that India is keeping an eye on the Covid situation in China. "We are keeping an eye on the Covid situation in China. We have always helped other countries as the pharmacy of the world," said MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi during a weekly press briefing.

On Wednesday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the evolving situation in China, with increasing reports of severe disease.

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