Modi also warned against any complacency in the face of the decline and called for continued efforts to contain the pandemic.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that every step in the logistics, delivery and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine must be rigorously implemented and must include advanced planning of cold storage chains, distribution network, mechanism of monitoring, prior evaluation and preparation of auxiliary equipment. such as veils, syringes, etc., said a statement issued by the central government on Saturday.
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He said that taking into account the geographic spread and diversity of the country, access to the vaccine must be quickly guaranteed.
India on Saturday reported a number of active cases of less than eight lakh for the first time after a month and a half.
“The positive cases are 7.95,087 while in the last 24 hours 70,816 patients have been recovered and discharged while the new confirmed cases are 62,212. Maharashtra contributes more than 13,000 to single-day recoveries followed by Karnataka with more than 8,000. 837 cases of death have been reported in the last 24 hours. Of these, almost 82% are concentrated in 10 states / UT and Maharashtra reports the maximum: 306, ” said the Ministry of Health.
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The prime minister on Saturday reviewed the pandemic situation and the preparation for the delivery, distribution and administration of vaccines at a meeting attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and officials.
The meeting noted that three vaccines are in advanced stages of development in India, of which two are in Phase II and one in Phase III.
“Indian scientists and research teams are collaborating and strengthening research capacities in neighboring countries, namely Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are more applications from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Qatar and Bhutan for clinical trials in their countries. To help the global community, the Prime Minister further ordered that we should not limit our efforts to our immediate neighborhood, but also reach out to the entire world by providing vaccines, drugs and IT platforms for the vaccine delivery system, ” the statement said. .
He said the National Covid-19 Vaccine Management Expert Group (NEGVAC), in consultation with state governments and all stakeholders, has submitted a detailed vaccine storage, distribution and administration plan. The Group of Experts, in consultation with the States, is actively working on the prioritization and distribution of vaccines.
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The prime minister has also indicated that India should make use of the experience of successful election conduct and disaster management.
“The Prime Minister said that vaccine delivery and administration systems should similarly be established. This should involve the participation of state / UT / district officials, civil society organizations, volunteers, citizens, and experts from all necessary domains. The entire process must have a strong IT backbone, and the system must be designed in such a way that it has lasting value to our healthcare system. ”
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Two pan-Indian studies on the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) genome by ICMR and Biotechnology (DBT) have now suggested that the virus is genetically stable and there is no major mutation.
The Prime Minister also warned against complacency in efforts to contain the pandemic. He insisted on continuous social distancing, appropriate behavior like wearing the mask, regular hand washing and hygiene, etc., especially in the wake of the upcoming festival season.
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