Covid: Aiming at operational readiness, Centre asks states to do mock drill at all health facilities on Dec 27

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New Delhi December 24

The Centre on Saturday said mock drills would be held at all health facilities in the country on December27 to review preparedness for Covid 19 in the wake of a cases surge in some countries.

Union health secretary in a letter asked states to hold mock drills at all health facilities, including identified Covid dedicated ones, across India on Tuesday, December 27 and upload facility wise data on a special online portal for the purpose by the evening of December 27.

“The objective is to ensure operational readiness of the facilities,” Bhushan said. He said the following parameters would be checked during the drills—geographically representative availability of health facilities, bed capacities includingisolation beds, oxygen supported beds, ICU beds and ventilator supported beds; optimal availability of human resources, human resource capacity (training of health personnel in ventilator management protocols and operation of PSA plants), referral services (availability of advanced and basic life support ambulances and a functional ambulance call centre); testing capacities (number and capacity of Covid test labs, availability of RTPCR and rapid antigen kits, reagents); logistics availability (essential drugs, ventilators, PPE kits, N 95 masks) and medical oxygen and availability of telemedicine services.

Respective district collectors have been told to carry out the exercise.