With the threat of a third wave of Covid-19 pandemic looming over India, the healthcare sector seems to have not learnt the lessons from the chaos at the peak of the second wave and is not yet fully geared up for any unforeseen calamity which may surface in the coming days. This is particularly true of rural areas which are still woefully short of required infrastructure. According to experts, the country is still not equipped with sufficient number of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, medicines, well-trained staff and other infrastructure needed to deal with the impending third wave.

Becoming complacent

With the reduction in the Covid cases after passing the peak, many healthcare centres have become complacent and have slowed down their efforts to ramp up infrastructure. Siddharth Rastogi, Executive Director, MVS Engineering, cautions against this inertia as the second wave is not over yet and it may prove costly if there is a resurgence in infections. “Hospitals and nursing homes need to realise that they are getting a breather now and they should be doubling their efforts rather than slowing down. Another key aspect is to consider the quality of the vendors they are dealing with, and due diligence on the manufacturers should be done; otherwise, there is a risk of investing in non-performing assets,” Rastogi added. “The hospitals that were able to secure donations using CSR funds and those that had funds available made the investment and are now having the assurance that another oxygen supply breakdown like the one witnessed in the second wave will not disrupt their operations,” he further stated.

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Ashok Patel, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Max Ventilator, said there is a shortage of around 50,000 ventilators, which is 35 per cent of the country’s total requirement. He stated that States have already started preparing themselves to handle the crisis that may erupt in the coming days. “The demand for ventilators has never subsided since the deadly storm of the second wave began. We have been working at 100 per cent capacity to meet the demand for ventilators that are pouring in from all around the country, especially in tier 2 and tier 3 cities like Patna, Sambalpur, Haridwar, Pune, Tirupati andGandhinagar,” Patel said.

Large-scale testing

Bishnu Panigrahi, Group Head, Medical Strategy and Operations, Fortis Healthcare, highlighted the need for large-scale testing to identify the hotspots, so that immediate treatment can be given to the patients. “It is desirable for each village to have an adequate number of pulse oximeters and thermometers so that they can be provided to the affected families on loan. There is also a need to make Rapid Antigen Test kits available at all public health facilities including sub-centres, health and wellness centres and primary health centres,” Panigrahi said.

Panigrahi suggested setting up a 3-tier structure for Covid management – Covid care centre for mild/asymptomatic cases, dedicated Covid health centre for moderate cases and dedicated Covid hospital for severe cases – under the supervision of primary health centres and community health centres in schools, community halls, marriage halls and panchayat buildings.

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