India on Monday reported 1,68,912 new Covid-19 cases and 904 deaths in last 24 hours, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.

The total number of cases stand at 1,35,27,717. There are 12,01,009 active cases in the country at present while 1,21,56,529 people have recovered from the disease. The death toll has risen to 1,70,179. As many as 10,45,28,565 people have been administered the Covid-19 vaccine.

Central teams sent by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in surge districts of three states of concern – Maharashtra, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh – that have been reporting the highest numbers of new Covid-19 deaths in the country have identified a certain set of problems in these states.

Maharashtra has very high hospital occupancy in three districts; three other districts are facing problems with oxygen supply; malfunctioning ventilators found in two districts.

In two districts of Punjab there are no dedicated Covid hospital; there is a shortage of healthcare workers in three districts, and no RTPCR testing lab in one.

In Chhattisgarh, there is a shortage of RTPCR testing in three districts; four districts have high hospital bed occupancy rates; the state capital has limited oxygen availability.

The expert teams were sent to these states on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after he held a meeting with all Chief Ministers last week.

Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written separate letters to the health secretaries of Maharashtra, Punjab, and Chhattisgarh, asking them to urgently address the concerns raised by the central teams, including hiring contractual health workers, and ramping up hospital infrastructure. He has flagged specific concerns with these three states.

Source: The Indian Express 

BDST: 1300 HRS, APR 12, 2021
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