PM orders audit of ventilators sent to states

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 15

With 513 out of 700-plus districts of the country reporting Covid positivity rate of over 10 per cent in signs of considerable infection, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday directed officials to ensure door-to-door testing in villages and an urgent audit of ventilators provided to the states by the Centre.

At a high-level review meeting on Covid response, the PM took serious note of reports about ventilators lying unutilised in storage in some states and directed an immediate audit of installation and operation of equipment provided by the Centre. He also said where necessary, training for proper operation of ventilators should be provided to healthcare workers.

The remarks come in the backdrop of the Centre and Punjab sparring over the health of 80 ventilators provided to a government college in Faridkot, with Punjab blaming faultiness and the Centre blaming improper use of equipment for the issue.

The PM took note of high positivity rate in 513 districts and said local containment strategies were the need of the hour.

He instructed testing be scaled up even though officials informed him that tests had increased from 50 lakh a week in early March to 1.3 crore a week now.

“States should be encouraged to report the infection rate without any pressure of high numbers showing adversely on their efforts. Augmentation of healthcare resources in rural areas is also a must,” the PM said, directing door-to-door testing and surveillance in villages and empowerment of ASHA and anganwadi workers with necessary Covid-care tools.

The PM also said guidelines for home isolation treatment be made available in regional languages for villages.Amid a massive oxygen crisis in urban areas, the PM asked officials to draft a distribution plan for ensuring oxygen supply in rural areas, including the supply of oxygen concentrators.

He said necessary training be provided to health workers in the operation of such equipment and power supply be ensured for smooth operation of medical devices in villages.

Blame game over equipment

The remarks come in the backdrop of the Centre and Punjab sparring over the health of 80 ventilators provided to a government college in Faridkot, with Punjab blaming faultiness and the Centre blaming improper use of equipment for the issue.

Training centres for rural outreach

• AIIMS-New Delhi chief Randeep Guleria on Saturday said the institute had concluded the training of regional centres of excellence, including PGI, Chandigarh
• These centres have to train doctors for the rural outreach. The government has said tele consultations will be used to ensure Covid management in rural areas.