The Centre has written to all states and Union Territories to ramp up their health infrastructure and step up vigilance against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
In essence, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the states to prepare for a third wave, without saying it in as many words. The letter, dated January 1, 2022 and signed by Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, comes in the wake up 16,764 cases reported across India on December 31, 2021 -- the highest ever single-day rise in the past 70 days.
The letter stresses on the " high transmissibility" of Omicron and emphasises "timely and swift upgradation of health infrastructure in all states/UTs".
"This becomes all the more important since, with the sudden increase in cases, we may start seeing a stressed health infrastructure," read the letter.
The letter advised all states to prepare additional isolation beds and field hospitals, and ensure adequate ICU beds, paediatric facilities, medical oxygen, ambulances, drugs and diagnostics, and manpower.
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States were told to take help from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the private sector, corporations, and NGOs, as needed. "This will aid the process of rapid creation of field hospitals or temporary hospital set-ups. States may also consider leveraging hotel rooms and other accommodations linked with the COVID-dedicated hospitals," the letter stated.
States were also told to have a proper plan to home isolate patients and a robust mechanism to follow-up and shift them to a health facility, as required. "Special teams be constituted to monitor all home isolation cases, call centres/control rooms must aid outbound calling for monitoring such patients and ensuring that all such cases can be shifted to an appropriate health facility through dedicated ambulances," the letter read.
The letter directs all states must ensure functional control rooms at district/sub-district/ward level. "A clearly defined mechanism to access testing, ambulance and hospital beds needs to be put in place and communicated to the public at large. A mechanism wherein citizen can call and get ambulance and a bed in a transparent manner needs to be operationalised," the letter further said.
The letter added that states must regularly review the availability of required logistics, oxygen availability and buffer stock of drugs across all health facilities.
The letter also stressed on the need for containment measures on the ground, coupled with effective contact-tracing and adequate quarantine facilities.
