NCR VS Corona: Home Minister emphasises on more rapid tests as well as early hospitalisation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting of Chief Ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for a unified Covid19 strategy for Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

In the wake of sharp spike in Covid cases in the region, Amit Shah emphasised on the need to focus on more testing through Rapid Antigen Tests so that the infection rate in the NCR can be reduced.

The main focus remained on early hospitalisation of patients so that mortality rate can be reduced.

He stressed the need to focus on more testing of those suspected of Covid19 so that the infection rate in the NCR region can be reduced. Shah said that adoption of more testing via Rapid Antigen Test Kits will help in reducing infection transmission rate below 10 percent as suggested by World Health Organization.

It is learnt by India Today TV that Amit Shah said nearly 90 percent of screening is possible through these kits. These kits can be provided by the Union government to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments.

Amit Shah also emphasised on the wide use of Arogya Setu and Itihas Apps to help Covid-19 mapping in the NCR.

The Home Minister in the meeting also suggested AIIMSDelhi Telemedicine consultation model being used in Delhi for COVID patients should be replicated in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana also. He suggested that UP and Haryana can join AIIMS-Telemedicine COVID consultation through which patients can get advice by expert doctors.

The training for doctors in small hospitals in UP and Haryana can be provided by AIIMS with the help of televideography. NITI Ayog member Dr. V K Paul also gave a presentation on the strategy of tackling Covid-19 in the NCR. He provided details of best practices adopted in Delhi-NCR and the way ahead.

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and senior officials of the Government of India, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi governments were also present in the meeting.

Since taking over charge of the national capital since last month in the wake of drastic spike in Covid-19 cases, Shah has been doing micro-management – from regular meetings, visiting hospital, increasing bed capacity and mass scale tests.

On Thursday, a spike of more than 19,000 new coronavirus cases and 434 deaths in a single day pushed India’s overall case tally to over six lakh. Total active cases stood at 2,26,947, while 3.5 lakh recoveries recorded, according to data by the Union Health Ministry.