In contrast to China, where individuals have little immunity because of stringent regulations, researchers say India should be fine with the BF.7 sub-strain because many people have established immunity to the virus through vaccination or previous infection.
In New Delhi: The Delhi government authorised a budget of Rs 104 crore on Monday for hospitals to purchase generic medications as part of emergency plans in response to an uptick in instances of Covid in several nations. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia gave the heads of government hospitals instructions to share information with the Health Department on beds, ventilators, ICUs, human resources, oxygen plants, and medical logistics by the end of the day.
“Everyone should be concerned about the increase in Covid cases worldwide. Delhi hospitals have been instructed to plan and be on guard.
Sisodia was cited in a release as saying, “A sum of Rs 104 crore has been approved to ensure that there is no shortage of medications at government hospitals, and they are fully equipped to deal with any situation.”
The deputy chief minister stated that on Tuesday, they held a simulated drill at each hospital to ensure that the institutions are prepared to manage Covid according to the Center’s instructions. Any deficiencies, he stressed, will be quickly filled by Health department employees. The mock exercise will evaluate, among other things, the availability of beds, human resources, referral sources, testing capacity, medical logistics, telemedicine services, and medical oxygen.
From Tuesday, the public will access real-time information on the availability of beds, oxygen cylinders, and ventilators on a portal run by the Delhi government, according to officials. An official stated that it would shortly intensify testing—currently, the city hosts between 2,500 and 3,000 tests daily.
Meetings with non-governmental organisations and resident welfare organisations are being held, and they are being asked to raise awareness of the current situation. The novel Omicron sub-variant BF.7 of the coronavirus, which is leading to an increase in cases in other nations, has not yet been found in Delhi, according to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who also stated last week that his government is well prepared to handle any situation. Directives have been issued to boost precaution dosage coverage and staffing levels in hospitals and provide samples from all positive cases for genome sequencing.
In addition, Kejriwal has ordered authorities to obtain prior authorization before purchasing necessities and to check the equipment in all hospitals. According to the chief minister, they are independent in terms of oxygen availability and storage.
Delhi experienced an oxygen crisis last year during the second Covid wave, with hospitals using social media to post SOS alerts about running out of supply.
However, according to specialists, India should be fine with the BF.7 sub-strain because many individuals there have gained immunity to the virus, either through vaccination or prior infection, in contrast to China, where people have little immunity because of rigorous regulations.
