Highlighting the need for localised containment strategies to prevent further spread of Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked authorities to empower ASHA and anganwadi workers with all necessary tools needed to tackle the virus in rural areas.
“Necessary training should be provided to health workers with regards to operating ventilators and other key medical equipment,” Modi said during a Covid-19 review meet.
Taking stock of the current pandemic situation in the country, Modi asked authorities to boost healthcare resources in rural areas to focus on door-to-door testing and surveillance. He further asked officials to ensure proper distribution of oxygen supply in villages.
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“States should be encouraged to report COVID numbers transparently without any pressure of high tally showing adversely on their efforts,” Modi said during the meet.
The prime minister also instructed officials to ramp up testing in areas with high positivity rates and said that the number of Covid-19 tests in the country has gone up from around 50 lakh per week in early March to around 1.3 crore per week now.
(With PTI inputs)
