Delhi hospitals told to step up Covid-19 prep
The Delhi government on Friday issued an advisory instructing all hospitals in the city — both public and private — to step up preparedness as a precautionary measure in response to a recent rise in Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country. The advisory calls for ensuring the availability of hospital beds, oxygen, medicines, and vaccines.
To be sure, there has been no notable spike in infections in the Capital so far, with just 23 new cases reported over the last 10 days, according to official data.
As of May 19, Delhi had only five active Covid-19 cases, underscoring the minimal prevalence of the virus in the region this year.
Still, Friday's advisory urged all hospitals to enhance preparedness to deal with the possibility of an upsurge of infections. It stressed on the urgent need to ensure the availability of hospital beds, oxygen supplies, essential medicines, and vaccines.
It also asked hospitals to take 'immediate action,' including conducting refresher training for dedicated Covid-19 staff and ensuring all life-saving equipment such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and PSA units are functional and ready for use.
This latest directive comes amid reports of a surge in Covid-19 cases in countries like Singapore and Hong Kong. While India's overall Covid situation remains under control, senior officials from the Union ministry of health and family welfare held a meeting with technical experts earlier this week to review the situation nationally.
Delhi has largely seen low Covid-19 activity through 2024. The last significant advisory was issued in March 2023, when cases rose to around 300—the first such uptick since August 2022. At the time, the then health minister had urged residents not to panic.
The current advisory also directs all hospitals and health facilities to report Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases daily through the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). Confirmed cases of Covid-19 or influenza are to be reported under the L form on the same portal. Hospitals must also update all relevant parameters on the Delhi state health data management portal daily.
'Send all positive COVID-19 samples for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to LokNayak hospital so as to enable timely detection of new variants, if any and share the number of samples sent for WGS with the State Surveillance Unit,' the order reads.
In addition, all positive Covid-19 samples must be sent to Lok Nayak Hospital for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to enable timely detection of new variants. The number of samples sent for sequencing should also be shared with the State Surveillance Unit.
The advisory reiterates the importance of basic preventive measures and mandates that respiratory etiquette, including mask-wearing within hospital premises, must be strictly enforced.
The Delhi government has called for strict compliance with the advisory to ensure that the city's healthcare infrastructure remains ready to respond swiftly to any potential surge in Covid-19 cases.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
Strict monitoring of street and hotel food essential for public health: Karnataka Minister Sharan Prakash Patil
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 7 (ANI): Emphasising the need for stringent regulation of food quality, Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, Karnataka Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood urged both state and central food and drug authorities to closely monitor and regulate the standards of street and hotel food. Speaking at the World Food Safety Day programme organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at NIMHANS on Saturday, Dr Patil highlighted the serious health risks posed by unhygienic and adulterated food. 'Children and the elderly are often the worst affected by low-quality food sold in public spaces. Strict enforcement by government agencies is essential to ensure safety,' he said, addressing the gathering that included Union Health Minister J P Nadda and department secretary Punya Salila Srivastava. A medical professional himself, Dr Patil pointed out that vendors frequently use banned colours and chemicals to enhance the taste and appearance of food, which can lead to severe health complications, sometimes even proving fatal. He encouraged youth and children to choose home-cooked meals over street food. 'Our ancestors have handed down healthy food habits. It's time we return to those practices. Eating right is a sign of a progressive nation,' he said. On the occasion, the minister launched the 'Eat Right Activity Book' by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), aimed at raising awareness on food safety, hygiene, and nutrition among schoolchildren and communities. He also flagged off 'Food Safety on Wheels', a mobile unit for training, testing and creating public awareness on healthy food practices. The event concluded with the Institute Body (IB) and Governing Body (GB) meetings of NIMHANS, chaired by Union Minister J P Nadda. MPs P C Mohan and Lehar Singh, and NIMHANS Director Dr Pratima Murthy were also present. Earlier Union Health Minister JP Nadda on June 3 said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the focus of India's national health policy is to develop a 'holistic health care system', which not only focuses curative part in health care but also emphasises on the preventive care, palliative care, rehabilitative care, geriatric care and promotional health care. Nadda was addressing the newly passed out students from several branches of healthcare education at 15th Convocation of KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research (KAHER), held at JNMC Campus in Belagavi, Karnataka. (ANI)
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Karnataka reports 366 active Covid cases, death toll increases to 9
According to the state health department's Covid bulletin, both the men had Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI), displaying symptoms of fever, breathlessness, and cough.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Every Indian must make a vow to reduce salt, oil consumption by 10%: Nadda
Every Indian must make a vow to reduce salt and oil consumption by 10%, said Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, on Saturday. He was speaking at World Food Safety Day, 2025, organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare here on the theme 'Stop obesity by eating safe and healthy'. Highlighting a worrying trend, he cited an ICMR study that reported a 39.6% increase in urban obesity and a 23.1% increase in rural areas between 2008 and 2020. 'By 2050, nearly a third of India's population may be obese. This is alarming,' he warned, stressing the dangers of ultra-processed food and sedentary lifestyles. 'Our traditional food includes many types of preparations with millets. That we have to revive,' he said, highlighting the need to reduce processed food. He stressed that safe, nutritious, and balanced food is essential not only for individual well-being but for building a 'Viksit Bharat.' 'Eat right is your right, but only you can exercise it,' he said. Mr. Nadda flagged off four initiatives to promote healthy eating habits. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of School Education and Literacy, highlighted the integration of food awareness into NCERT textbooks. He spoke of the inclusion of chapters on food safety and well-being from class 3 onwards, supported by the Eat Right activity book. Other measures outlined were the promotion of millets in midday meals and the introduction of the Sugar Board in CBSE schools to help students access their daily sugar intake. The event discussed the growing spirit of competition among States with several Chief Ministers and State Health Ministries actively rolling out localised versions of the 'Eat Right' campaign. From awareness drives in schools to promoting millet-based meals and conducting many audits, States across the country were stepping up with creative on-ground initiatives, which are helping accelerate progress and foster innovation in public health strategies, the participants in the event noted.
