Prime Minister Calls For Accelerating Vaccination Drive For Adolescents On Mission Mode

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for accelerating the vaccination drive for adolescents on mission mode and ensuring adequate health infrastructure at the district level.

Chairing a high-level meeting to assess the COVID situation in the country, the prime minister directed that intensive containment and active surveillance should continue in clusters reporting higher cases and required technical support be provided to states which are reporting higher cases presently.

He stressed on use of masks and physical distancing as a new normal to control the spread. He also exhorted the need for effective implementation of home isolation for mild/asymptomatic cases and dissemination of the factual information to the community at large.

Modi said a meeting with the chief ministers should be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best-practices and the public health response.

He highlighted the need to ensure continuity of non-COVID health services while managing COVID cases and called for leveraging telemedicine to ensure availability of health related guidance to people in remote and rural areas.

A detailed presentation highlighting the surge in cases currently being reported globally was given by Health Secretary at the meeting. The status of COVID in various states and districts of concern, efforts taken by the Centre in terms of supporting states to manage the upcoming challenge were highlighted.

The support to the states to upgrade health infrastructure, testing capacity, availability of oxygen & ICU beds, and buffer stock of COVID essential drugs were presented.

After it was revealed at the meeting that 31% adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years have administered first dose in 7 days, the prime minister urged to further accelerate the vaccine drive on mission mode.

The meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar, Member (Health) NITI Aayog, Dr. V K Paul and senior officers of different departments.