<p>The World Health Organization on Wednesday said filling critical gaps in essential medical supplies and hospital capacities should be the top priority as India battles surge in Covid-19 cases.</p>.<p>“The current rapid surge of Covid-19 cases has put immense pressure on the health systems, already overburdened since the start of the pandemic. We need to act with speed, expand hospital capacities and equip them with medical supplies, most needed to save lives,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.</p>.<p>"In addition, health authorities must emphasise on rational use of drugs and oxygen, to ensure lifesaving interventions are made available only to those who need it," she said.</p>.<p>The WHO said it is procuring laboratory supplies, including 1.2 million reagents, to meet the huge demand and need for testing.</p>.<p>WHO is also procuring mobile field hospitals with a capacity of 20-30 beds, which could be set up in the most affected areas. It is also chartering flights to bring in 4000 oxygen concentrators to help meet the increased demands.</p>.<p>Khetrapal-Singh said the over 2,600 WHO technical staff, working on various programmes such as polio, TB and NTD, have been repurposed to support pandemic response in India.</p>.<p>The WHO also stressed on the need to address concerns and fear among the communities which often triggers hoarding of medical supplies and the rush to hospitals.</p>.<p>She also emphasised on triaging people well to optimize available resources such as ICU beds and suggested that efforts need to be made to scale up Covid-19 vaccination coverage.</p>.<p>“Irrespective of the numbers that we see today or the virus variants that may be circulating during the ongoing surge, our key public health measures – test, trace, isolate and treat – along with physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and masks continue to be our tried and tested measures to curtail Covid-19 transmission,” Khetrapal-Singh said.</p>.<p>The regional director stressed on wearing masks correctly, covering the nose and mouth properly. “Our masks should be a good fit, without gaps, to effectively protect us from the virus,” she said.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization on Wednesday said filling critical gaps in essential medical supplies and hospital capacities should be the top priority as India battles surge in Covid-19 cases.</p>.<p>“The current rapid surge of Covid-19 cases has put immense pressure on the health systems, already overburdened since the start of the pandemic. We need to act with speed, expand hospital capacities and equip them with medical supplies, most needed to save lives,” said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region.</p>.<p>"In addition, health authorities must emphasise on rational use of drugs and oxygen, to ensure lifesaving interventions are made available only to those who need it," she said.</p>.<p>The WHO said it is procuring laboratory supplies, including 1.2 million reagents, to meet the huge demand and need for testing.</p>.<p>WHO is also procuring mobile field hospitals with a capacity of 20-30 beds, which could be set up in the most affected areas. It is also chartering flights to bring in 4000 oxygen concentrators to help meet the increased demands.</p>.<p>Khetrapal-Singh said the over 2,600 WHO technical staff, working on various programmes such as polio, TB and NTD, have been repurposed to support pandemic response in India.</p>.<p>The WHO also stressed on the need to address concerns and fear among the communities which often triggers hoarding of medical supplies and the rush to hospitals.</p>.<p>She also emphasised on triaging people well to optimize available resources such as ICU beds and suggested that efforts need to be made to scale up Covid-19 vaccination coverage.</p>.<p>“Irrespective of the numbers that we see today or the virus variants that may be circulating during the ongoing surge, our key public health measures – test, trace, isolate and treat – along with physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette and masks continue to be our tried and tested measures to curtail Covid-19 transmission,” Khetrapal-Singh said.</p>.<p>The regional director stressed on wearing masks correctly, covering the nose and mouth properly. “Our masks should be a good fit, without gaps, to effectively protect us from the virus,” she said.</p>
