COVID-19 survey: Junior IAS officers highlight poor health infra at district level

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 2

Poor state of health infrastructure at district and sub-district levels and large number of migrant population are the highlighting points in the COVID-19 preparedness survey in which district collectors and IAS officers (2014-2018 batches) responded to a set of posers issued by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) from 410 districts across the country.

In the survey report, which was released on Thursday by Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh, the officers said the medical preparedness concerns largely because of lack of adequate ventilator machines and personal protection equipment (masks, gloves etc.), medical staff and doctors in district and sub-district hospitals

As some startling facts have come out in the survey the minister said, it will serve as a “benchmark for policy makers at national and state levels”.

The survey identified the need for enhanced hospital preparedness in district/sub-district hospitals, with 40 per cent of officials responding that hospitals were adequately not prepared.

The availability of adequate isolation beds in district/ sub-district hospitals was agreed by approximately fifty per cent officers; with 28 per cent disagreeing to its availability.

The non-availability of adequate ventilator machines in district/sub-district hospitals is highlighted as an area of concern in the survey.

Nearly 92 per cent of the officers said that people’s awareness about the threat of COVID-19 pandemic is very high and 75 per cent said that people are taking precautions to cope with the threat of COVID-19.

There were responses that said awareness generation is needed in some districts.

Similarly, 69 per cent respondents took the view that people are handling the COVID-19 lockdown in a peaceful and orderly manner on being questioned on public being alarmed and panicking, whilst 31 per cent agreed that people are alarmed and panicking.

Besides, 82 per cent of the district collectors and the officers agreed that government has taken sufficient steps to combat the COVID-19 disease management.