Gujarat reviewed operational readiness on Tuesday during a mock drill conducted across various healthcare facilities. At least one lakh beds and 15,000 ICUs with ventilators are prepared to be converted for the use of COVID-19 patients if necessary.
The Center has asked states and Union Territories to hold practise drills at all COVID-19 hospitals as a precaution due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in some countries.
State Health Minister Rushikesh Patel stated that Gujarat has developed a thorough plan and examined how well the current healthcare system is prepared for any potential pandemic scenario.
The government will also start a new campaign for giving booster doses after receiving 12 lakh doses of Covaxin and Covishield vaccines for which it has placed a new order, the minister told reporters.
Patel reviewed the steps taken at the Gandhinagar Civil Hospital and mentioned that mock drills were held at various health facilities throughout Gujarat including community health centres (CHCs), medical colleges and hospitals, district and sub-district hospitals.
“Today, we have one lakh and five thousand beds which can be converted immediately (for the use of COVID-19 patients). Then we have 15,000 ventilators and as many ICUs available with us. If we need a new arrangement after exhausting the available arrangements, we will create it as per the requirement,” Patel said.
“A mock drill was carried out to make sure that the infrastructure set up to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic is fully operational. It is meant to understand whether the facilities provided are functioning properly or are facing difficulties,” Patel added.
The mock drill exercise will concentrate on factors like the accessibility of medical facilities (covering all districts), the capacity of isolation beds, oxygen-supported beds, ICU beds and ventilator-supported beds as well as the best possible accessibility of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other front-line staff.