Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that “all possible support is being extended to states to fight Covid-19 by taking steps to—double Remdesivir production and supply, ensure uninterrupted supply of oxygen, continuously supply Covid-19 vaccines and enhance healthcare infrastructure”. The statement came in the wake of unprecedented Covid-19 crisis, with India registering over two lakh new Covid-19 cases for the fourth day in a row.
Informing about the measures that are being taken to strengthen the vaccination drive across the country, he highlighted the following steps in pointers and tweeted, “Covid-19 vaccine supplies of small states being replenished every 7 days and every 4 days for big states. Steps taken to quickly enhance basket of vaccines available. Production of Covaxin to increase 10 times by September 2021.”
India’s vaccination drive commenced on 16 January.
In order to enhance the hospital beds capacity for Covid-19 patients, the government will be, “setting up temporary hospitals” and “dedicating wards at hospitals under Union Ministries,” he added.
The minister also tweeted that “additional ventilators are being provided by Government of India,” which he accompanied by state-wise data that read, “Maharashtra-1121, UP-1700, Jharkhand-1500, Gujarat-1600, Madhya Pradesh-152 and Chhattisgarh-230.”
In addition to how the government is acting upon the issue of oxygen supply, Dr Vardhan wrote, “Projected demand of high-burden states mapped with supplies.”
“Oxygen production being maximised and diverted from industrial use to medical use, expediting installation of 162 PSA plants across the country, and 24×7 coordination cell assisting the states,” he added.
To fulfil the requirement of Remdesivir, the Indian government is taking the following measures: “Production being doubled to 74.1L/month by May. Express permission given to 20 manufacturing plants to increase production. Exports prohibited. Prices capped. Strict monitoring to curb any malpractice, hoarding and black marketing.”
