Wake up from slumber: IMA to Govt

DELHI: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday slammed the Union Health Ministry, saying it is “astonished to see the extreme lethargy and inappropriate actions” from the dept in combating the agonising crisis caused by the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Noting the collective consciousness, proactive cognizance, and requests by IMA and learned colleagues are put into the “dustbin”, the association said the decisions are taken “without realising the ground realities”.

In the last 20 days, an IMA statement said, the association has been insisting on the need for complete, wellplanned pre-announced national lockdown rather than few states declaring lockdown ranging for 10 to 15 days to get breathing time for the health infrastructure to recoup and replenish both the material and manpower.

“Lockdown will break the chain of devastating spread,” said the IMA, a national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine in India.

Mentioning “sporadic night curfews have not done any good”, the IMA stressed: “Life is precious than the economy.” “Wake up from slumber and respond to mitigate the growing challenges in covid pandemic,” it said. Aid reaching tertiary care bodies in states/UTs, says ministry: nity has been extending a helping hand in supporting efforts of India to meet the challenges and requirements of the unprecedented Covid surge, said the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

As per the ministry, 2,933 oxygen concentrators, 2,429 oxygen cylinders, 13 oxygen generation plants, 2,951 ventilators and over 3 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered so far. Meanwhile, the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 16.73 crore.

Meanwhile, India received 2,060 oxygen concentrators, 30,000 vials of Remdesivir, 467 ventilators and 3 oxygen generation plants from USIndia Strategic Partnership Forum, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands and Israel on Friday, the government said. “Cumulatively, 6608 oxygen concentrators, 3856 cylinders, 14 generation plants, 4330 ventilators/Bi PAP and about 3 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched, from April 27, 2021 to May 7, 2021," it said.