New Delhi, Committing to dealing with the new form of Coronavirus “Omicron” based on the experiences gained from the first and second wave of the global COVID pandemic, the government said on Monday that it is fully vigilant and Preparations are being made at every level to deal with this. Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, responding to a short-lived discussion on the “situation arising due to the new form of corona virus Omicron” in the Rajya Sabha, said, “So far 161 cases of Omicron have been reported in the country, out of which 13 percent In some cases the symptoms are very mild. There were no symptoms in 80 percent of the cases. 44 patients have become healthy.
He said that Omicron has spread to 96 countries and its effects are being continuously monitored. He said that the government is fully alert about this form of the virus and in the coming times, advisories will be issued as per the need, on the basis of which observation should be made so that there is no confusion among the people. Mandaviya said that the fight against corona virus will continue keeping in mind the experiences gained in the first and second wave of the COVID epidemic.
He said, “The World Health Organization has said and the scientific community also agrees that the medicines and protocols for the Omicron form of the corona virus will also be the same as for other forms of this deadly virus including delta, gamma.”
He said that so far 161 cases of Omicron have been reported from different states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat etc. He said 38 laboratories are working for early detection of Omicron cases and for ‘genome sequencing’. We have achieved 30,000 ‘genome sequencing’ per month and efforts are on to increase it.
The Minister said that the biggest weapon against the COVID pandemic is vaccination and 88 per cent of the population of our country has received the first dose of anti-covid vaccine and 58 per cent of the population has received the second dose. When Mandaviya was replying to the discussion, the opposition members were creating a ruckus in the House demanding the suspension of 12 suspended members and the removal of Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra ‘Teni’ over the Lakhimpur Kheri case.
Amidst the uproar, Mandaviya said, “Vaccination of 130 crore population of the country was not easy. But India campaigned and got success. 76 percent of people in the UK, 72 percent in the US, 73 percent in Germany and 79 percent in Italy received the first dose. These are all developed countries where the health infrastructure is very strong. But in relation to this, despite the diversity and heterogeneity, 88 percent of the people in our country have received the first dose of vaccine and 58 percent of the population has received the second dose. A large population of the country has been vaccinated and people have got great protection from COVID.
For this he praised the health workers. The minister said that every state in the country has enough vaccine available. States have 17 crore doses. He said that 31 crore doses of vaccines are being produced in India every month which will increase soon and in the next two months it will be 45 crore doses per month. He told that at present two companies are preparing the vaccine in the country but we have got the data of two more companies and hope they will get permission soon.
“There was a time when a vaccine would take a few years to get approved after research was done,” he said. But we simplified the rules and within nine months, after research, the country got the vaccine. From research to production, everything happened in the country itself.
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The minister said, “Today, 137 crore doses of vaccine have been administered to the people. It is also a great achievement that people got 2.5 crore doses of vaccine in a day. Once the country’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma had said from space on the request of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha Hindostan Hamara’. Today once again something good has happened in the country which should be appreciated. The population of many countries is not even 25 million. In our place, 2.5 crore people got vaccinated in a single day.
He said, “On the birthday of the Prime Minister, people themselves came forward to get the vaccine. Criticism is fine, but if it is a matter of national pride, then everyone should unite. Mandaviya said that there is no need to get upset or worried in view of the current situation arising out of Omicron in the country. He said, “The government has made preparations to deal with this and preparations are also going on, there is experience in the past also. States have been given a COVID-2 package of 22 thousand crores. Through this, the states will make proper arrangements in the hospitals. This includes making units for children, arranging oxygen, beds, etc. and then one crore rupees will be kept as buffer money.
He said, “Omicron is a new form of corona virus. Its case was first found in Africa on 24 November and then it spread to other countries including Botswana. The World Health Organization called it a ‘concern’. Along with the World Health Organization, India is also monitoring its various aspects and the government is fully alert. The minister said that the government is taking full vigil and considering the country where its cases are there, considering it as a risky country, RT-PCR test of people coming from there at the airport, seven days of home isolation, then again. Special Standard Procedures (SOPs) have been set for investigation etc.
He said, “After regular discussions with expert teams, its aspects are being assessed, including its effect on people who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated, its treatment etc. It is being ensured that adequate medicines are available with all the states. Provision has been made for this in COVID Package 2. Buffer stock of medicines has been kept.
The capacity of oxygen plants has been increased. Today 48,000 ventilators have been sent to the states. In view of the earlier complaints of ventilator malfunction, it was decided that the state to which the ventilators were given, should give us a certificate about it in writing. Today we have received positive reports from the states about 48,000 ventilators. He told, “We give ventilators to the states. The states provide ventilators to the hospitals.”
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Making an indirect reference to the opposition’s criticism of the government in dealing with COVID, Mandaviya said, “This topic is not political at all. The Prime Minister has said that this epidemic has to be fought unitedly. The demand for oxygen increased rapidly in the second wave. We increased the production of oxygen. On an average, the demand of 1000 to 1500 tonnes suddenly increased and arrangements were made to meet the demand of 9000 tonnes. Oxygen was also supplied from aircraft, trains, ships. Oxygen was also ordered from abroad as per the requirement. Even then there was politics and instead of supporting, people went to the courts and the quota was sanctioned. Oxygen tankers were ordered but arrangements were not made to keep them. If this is not politics, then what was?
The minister said, “If we were united against the pandemic, the scope of success would have been wider. When it comes to managing the COVID crisis in the world, India will be appreciated. Then one will not look at the Bharatiya Janata Party government but at India itself. It is a matter of national pride.”
Mandaviya said, “To see the effect of the vaccine, ‘culture development’ has to be done and the effect of the vaccine is being seen on it by ‘developing the culture’ of Omicron form. Its report will come in a week.”
He said that attention should be paid only to the updated information given by the government regarding COVID and any kind of confusion should not be allowed to spread. (agency)