Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : A high level meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on COVID-19 was held at Nirman Bhawan here on March 25, 2020, under the chairpersonship of Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health & Family Welfare Minister. Hardeep S. Puri, Minister for Civil Aviation, Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, Nityananda Rai, Minister of State for Home, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping, Chemical and Fertilisers, and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Health & Family Welfare, were present, along with Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff.
The Group of Ministers (GoM) had detailed deliberation on prevention and management of COVID-19 at the meeting. The GOM also discussed the actions taken so far, current status of social distancing measures as a preventive strategy, and the stringent actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 by the States so far. The GOM discussed strengthening capacity of states, which need to devote adequate resources for creating dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, equipping the medical institutes with PPEs, ventilators and other essential equipment etc.
States have been asked to ensure that essential services and supplies remain open. They include hospitals, medical shops, and establishments engaged in manufacturing of medicine, vaccines, sanitisers, masks and medical devices. GoM was also informed that Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, MP, and J&K are setting up hospitals dedicated to the management of COVID-19. A total of 118 laboratories have been included in the ICMR network of COVID19 testing. Group of Ministers (GoM) was also apprised that Cabinet Secretary has also written letters and conducted Video Conference with Chief Secretaries, Health Secretaries, and DGs of Police and instructed them to enforce implementation of lockdown measures.
Highlighting the critical importance of social distancing as an effective strategy for prevention of COVID-19 and limiting the spread of the disease, Dr Vardhan said, “As announced by the Prime Minister on March 24, 2020, the country has been put under lockdown. As part of this lockdown, we need to ensure that within our homes too we practice social distancing.” He further added that around 64,000 persons have arrived from other countries to India since March 21, 2020, of which 8,000 have been put in various quarantine facilities and 56,000 are in home isolation. “We are fighting an infectious disease. In order to protect ourselves and others, it is highly important that we follow all the protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the Government, failing which may lead to legal actions u/s 188 of IPC,” he said, according to a PIB release.
Dr Vardhan also reiterated his appeal to everyone to not ostracise doctors and other medical staff who are on the forefront of this health emergency and serving to save us from COVID-19. We should also avoid spreading rumours or un-authenticated information, he added.