Stock up oxygen cylinders, ventilators: Centre tells states

New Delhi: The federal health ministry on Saturday asked states to brace up for a potential surge of covid after China reported 37 million cases on a single day.

The fresh Covid guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told the states to get ready medical infrastructures to face any challenges in future however Covid cases are low now.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said RT-PCR will administered on all travellers from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand and they be quarantined if found positive, according to India Today.  

All concerned departments are asked to keep PSA plants fully functional as well as organising regular mock drills to check their efficiency, shows the advisory.

The advisory directed the states to ensure the availability and supply chain of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) in the health facilities.

In what is seen as a move to avoid a repeat of previous Oxygen crisis, the guidelines told states to stock adequate inventory of Oxygen cylinders, robust refilling systems and ensure life support systems like Ventilators, BipAp and SpO2 systems along with their consumables.

The federal health ministry also asked states to invigorate oxygen control rooms to overcome ‘oxygen related issues and challenges’, while monitoring the daily demand and supply of Oxygen.

Alongside stepping up monitoring, the airport authorities will reportedly start random Covid testing of 2% of international passengers from today.

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