Nationwide Covid-19 drills begin to assess preparedness as cases surge

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, a nationwide mock drill to take stock of hospital preparedness is being held on Monday and Tuesday.

State health ministers are visiting hospitals to oversee the drills as Covid-19 are on the rise in the country.

In a review meeting held on April 7, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stressed the need to identify emergency hotspots by monitoring trends of influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, ramping up testing and vaccination, and ensuring the readiness of hospital infrastructure.

Besides enhancing genome sequencing and ramping up whole genome sequencing of positive samples, he had emphasised creating awareness about following Covid-appropriate behaviour.