As the country’s Covid-19 tally, both in terms of daily additions and deaths keep increasing by leaps and bounds, the Union Health Ministry finally has a tete-a-tete with the reality that there is definitely wrong somewhere. The stage has reached the level that it is turning out to be a major embarrassment for India in the international fora for being a ‘dedicated’ contributor at a time when globally there are encouraging signs of the pandemic’s receding. As a part of the new strategy which has been induced by this ‘realization’, the Centre has decided to comb out the ‘lapses’ directly based on the detailed feedback from officers at district level. This is a well-thought move as it is increasingly becoming burdensome for many states to manage the situation alone. In the long battle with Covid, the factors of flexibility and self-correction should not be viewed as discredits and for keeping the response pattern most-appropriate, such change of strategies are necessary and better be tried.

The latest figures on the country’s Covid-19 situation which have been supplied by the Union Health Ministry itself will paint a grim picture. Beginning August 31, a mammoth total of nearly 6 lakh new Covid-19 infections have been added and the exuberance arising of the steady recovery and fall in mortality rate has actually been nullified by it. Even if , as on Monday there has been a reduction in daily addition which was exactly 75,809, there have been 1,133 fatalities and there is no breathing space really. The grey areas that have been laid stress in this new strategy are implementation of containment, surveillance and clinical management strategies among others. A major shift in the overall plan of action can be noticed since from now onwards, the Centre will communicate directly with administrative officials and Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) who are fighting the pandemic right from the troubled zones where the protocol till now had been taking inputs from the health secretaries of the respective states. A relook of the actualities will also throw much light on the changing needs and while it is being felt that there is a need to upscale the manpower on the ground level, the necessity for their Covid-specific training also must not be overlooked.

For reaching the ultimate  aim which is to break the chain and thwart the possibility of community transmission, contact tracing is the most vital step, followed by testing and isolation. While these have improved over the months, a periodic review will be equally necessary.

All strategies currently in force must be overhauled to keep in congruity with the changing scenario. This holds good for any part of the country including Arunachal.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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