13 January,2022 07:48 AM IST | New Delhi | Agencies
A health worker administers a dose of COVID vaccine to a beneficiary, in Gurugram on Wednesday. Pic/PTI
Noting the "significant surge" in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Centre on Wednesday wrote to all states and UTs urging them to direct departments concerned to ensure adequate buffer stock of medical oxygen for at least 48 hours and reinvigorate oxygen control rooms.
It also said that as many as 300 districts in India are reporting a weekly case positivity rate of more than 5 per cent. Delhi reported 27,561 new cases on Wednesday.
The Union Health Ministry said the emerging scenario calls for immediate measures by states and UTs to ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen at all health facilities.
In a letter to states and UTs, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that private health facilities providing oxygen therapy services may be assessed and their medical oxygen infrastructure capacities need to be explored.
A possible strategy and mechanism to leverage the private sector in times of peak demand can be explored, he advised.
Bhushan outlined that LMO tanks at the health facilities should be sufficiently filled and uninterrupted supply chain for their refilling should be ensured.
Stating that health facilities across the country have been strengthened with PSA plants, he stressed that it is important to ensure that these PSA plants are kept fully functional. "All steps should be taken for the proper upkeep and maintenance of such plants," Bhushan said.
3,60,70,510 Total no. of Coronavirus cases in india so far
4,84,655 Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far
9,55,319 Total no. of active cases in India
Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Wednesday said cases have stabilised in the national capital and there is a possibility of the infections declining soon. Comparing the scenario with Mumbai, the minister said the daily infections have started declining in the Maharashtra capital and the same situation is likely to happen in Delhi. He said the tests positivity rate alone cannot determine whether cases have peaked or not.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that over two crore COVID vaccine doses have been administered to beneficiaries in the age group 15-18 years. "Now the youth is coming forward to make the world's largest vaccine drive a success. We have already vaccinated 2 crore children between 15-18 years of age," PM Modi said during an online event.
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