India responds with utmost urgency to COVID-19 early on, WHO says. (File)
New Delhi:
India has responded urgently to the coronavirus from the very beginning and has continued to strengthen preparedness and response measures, said the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) (Southeast Asia ) Poonam Khetrapal Singh.
“India has reacted with the greatest urgency to COVID-19 from the start. India has continued to strengthen its preparedness and response measures, including increasing testing capacity, preparing more hospitals , organizing and storing essential drugs and commodities, ”Singh told a virtual conference. Report.
“India took bold, decisive and early action earlier in the outbreak. The country has not seen an exponential increase in cases like some other countries that have reported their first cases with India. As in any other country, the transmission of COVID-19 is not homogeneous in India. There are still areas to see a confirmed case, some have sporadic cases, in some areas a few small groups while we are seeing large groups in some mega-cities of the densely populated areas, ”Singh said.
She said WHO was aware of the varying capacities at subnational levels.
“It is not unusual in a country as large as India and the size of its population that the measures taken may often not be uniformly sufficient in all areas. Capacity and response building remains a constant need. in India.”
Responding to the question of what more needs to be done to control the spread of COVID-19, she said all countries, including India, must continue to implement public health and distancing measures basic social.
“Local epidemiology to guide our response to find hot spots and test, detect, isolate and provide care for those affected, promote safe hygiene practices and respiratory rules, protect health workers and increase the capacity of the health system is also essential, ”she said.
