- He shared that Maharashtra, Chandigarh, and Delhi have used 42.5, 47.8, and 75.4 percent of their allowance.
- He implored citizens to keep social distancing measures during the upcoming festivals.
- Training segments on Infection, Prevention, and Control have been made accessible on the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare website.
THD NewsDesk, New Delhi: Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, in the fifth episode of Sunday Samvaad, stated that in the first phase, the Government of India had issued Rs 3000 crores to states and UTs to fight COVID-19. Except for three states/UTs, every other state has utilized the complete grant given to them. He shared that Maharashtra, Chandigarh, and Delhi have used 42.5, 47.8, and 75.4 percent of their allowance.
The minister gave his cell number to reduce the dilemmas of the people. He further implored citizens to keep social distancing measures during the upcoming festivals. Increased novel coronavirus transmission was probable during winters as it is a respiratory virus. In cold weather, the transmission of respiratory viruses rises.
He added that Emergency Use Authorisation for the COVID vaccine depends on clinical trial analysis, occupational jeopardy, and the danger of exposure to infection fundamentally to manage vaccination priority.
He continued that the Government was extending to estimate the probability of proposing various COVID-19 vaccines in the country according to their availability. Dr. Harsh Vardhan shared his perspectives on Public-Private Partnership during the pandemic. He stated that the present situation obliges many vaccine partners to assure maximum vaccination coverage to the Indian population. He believes that a single vaccine from a company should not be viewed negatively.
The Health Minister gave comprehensive knowledge on Ayurveda’s role in the battle against COVID and ICMR’s forthcoming research on cases of reinfection, the selection guidelines for vaccination, and different crucial knowledge regarding the COVID vaccine.
In an update on the rollout of the FELUDA test, Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated: “While I cannot put an exact date on the availability, we should expect this test within the next few weeks.”
Dr. Vardhan stated on the subject of reinfection cases that, though there are infrequent cases of reinfection appearing in various states, rigorous research of the ICMR database exhibits some cases as mislabeled reinfections. He added that it is necessary to distinguish wrongful reinfection from genuine reinfection. He said, “Actual reinfection would mean a fully recovered person getting infected by a freshly introduced virus in his/her body, belonging to the same or different strain. ICMR is commissioning a study to understand the true burden of re-infected cases. Results will be shared in a couple of weeks.”
Safety of healthcare workers
Expressing his grief at the loss of doctors to the pandemic, Dr. Harsh Vardhan had taken some strict measures to protect healthcare workers amidst COVID-19. States are fully supportive of PPE Kits, N-95 masks, and HCQ for the safety and prophylaxis of healthcare workers handling COVID cases. AIIMS, Delhi regularly conveys a series of webinars with the State Level Centers of Excellence, where guidelines on Infection, Prevention, and Control get broadcasted. Training segments have been made accessible on the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare website. These training modules are also available on the iGoT – Deeksha platform on infection, prevention, and control practices. He continued that the Ministry of Health has also published regulations on the judicious use of Personal Protection Equipment for healthcare workers working in both COVID and non-COVID areas of health facilities.
Criticism of AYUSH formulations
Dr. Vardhan responded to the criticism encompassing the efficiency of AYUSH formulations in the treatment of COVID-19 by explaining the theory of Salutogenesis and how these formulations attack patients’ holistic improvement. He directed towards an in-depth study of literature and scientific data produced from in silico studies, experimental researches, and clinical studies. He added, “Guduchi, Ashwagandha, Guduchi and Pippali combination and AYUSH 64 have a substantial number of studies which prove their immuno-modulatory, anti-viral, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. These interventions have also shown a good binding affinity with COVID-19 virus in in-silico studies.”
He further notified that scientific studies were commenced with the remedies to evaluate their influence in prophylaxis, secondary prevention, and management of COVID-19 afflicted cases on the Interdisciplinary Task Force’s recommendations set up by the Government.
Dr. Harsh Vardhan described the advantages of Chyawanprash. The data accessible from clinical research revealed that people who consume Chyawanprash daily for a specific period display better health status and immunity response. As sugar is a vital ingredient, customers can buy sugar-free versions in the market.