Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday held a meeting with representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and other top doctors and public health experts to discuss Covid-19 and was urged to allow people to enjoy a second booster shot of the coronavirus.
The meeting was convened via video conference to discuss preparedness for any possible outbreaks, according to people familiar with the matter. Mandaviya, these people said, asked exporters to join the fight against Covid by providing accurate information to allay fears and “prevent an infodemic”.
The meeting came as part of the government’s attempt to step up surveillance of Covid-19 amid rising cases worldwide, particularly in China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. However, the situation in India is drastically different – the average number of new cases recorded over 7 days gradually decreased from less than 300 on 1 December to 163 on 25 December.
“Today we interacted with about 100 public health experts and clinicians from across the country regarding the management of Covid-19,” the health minister tweeted shortly after the meeting ended.
Dr JA Jayalal, former president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), who attended a meeting with the health minister on Monday, said the government had been urged to consider a fourth dose for the population, especially health workers and frontline workers. .
“The last dose for health workers and frontline workers started almost a year ago. Such a long gap would weaken immunity. We have urged the minister to consider a fourth preventive dose for people, especially doctors, nurses, other hospital staff and frontline workers who have to treat patients and are at higher risk,” said Dr Jayalal.
Other suggestions included strengthening the mask mandate in crowded public places and closer coordination between experts from different states through instant messaging tools.
“Despite high efficacy, booster dose coverage in India is only about 30%. We called on the Minister to ensure that as many people as possible take preventive benefits. There is no reason to panic, but we need to increase surveillance,” said Dr. Sahajanand Prasad Singh, IMA National President.
In a statement issued later, Mandaviya’s ministry said it had stressed the need to curb the spread of unverified information.
“While it is important to be vigilant and follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks, it is equally important to prevent an infodemic and share only authentic and verified information about Covid-19. Union Health Ministry shares information on various aspects of Covid prevention and treatment. I urge everyone to access and share only verified information and encourage others to do the same,” the statement quoted the minister as saying during the meeting.
“You have been our ambassadors during the country’s fight against Covid-19. I appreciate your contribution and appreciate the selfless dedication and service of the health workers,” the minister said.
The Minister of Health also emphasized the need to alleviate even the slightest sense of panic among citizens by making them aware of the current state of data on Covid, the vaccination program and the efforts of the government.
The IMA has also recently issued an advisory, urging the public to monitor Covid-appropriate behavior with immediate effect.
The Indian Medical Association has also issued an advisory to its state and local chapters to take necessary action in case of an outbreak of Covid in their areas. The association also urged all its members to work proactively as in the past to combat any future outbreaks.
