Amit Shah, Harsh Vardhan interact with doctors; assure security

Union Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah and Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday interacted with doctors and senior representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), and assured them that appropriate security will be provided to them.

In the interaction held through video conference, the two Union Ministers allayed all concerns of the medical fraternity regarding their security in the fight against coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet also cleared an Ordinance today to ensure the safety of the doctors under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897.

"The government of India is taking several steps along with the States/UTs for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19. These are being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level," the government said in an official statement.

Recently, the Ministry of Health directed all Chief Secretaries of States/UT in ensuring adequate measures towards the social and financial security as well as the safety of healthcare workers engaged in fight against coronavirus.

"States/UTs are advised to take up various measures including human resource and capacity building training, medical safety, staffing guideline, and timely payments, psychological support, training of frontline workers and life insurance cover," the statement said.

"ICMR has forwarded a protocol for using Rapid Antibody Test to all States. It is reiterated that antibody rapid tests are largely to be used as a tool for surveillance. Globally also, the utility of this test is evolving and it is currently being used for detecting the formation of antibodies in individuals," it added.

It said that these test results are also dependent on field conditions and added that these tests cannot replace the RT-PCR test to diagnose COVID-19 cases.

"ICMR has assured assistance to collect data from various States to assess the scope and extent of the utility of these rapid antibody tests in field conditions, and ICMR shall keep advising the States on a regular basis," the statement said.

States have also been advised to follow the prescribed protocol for these tests and use it for the purposes for which they are meant.

The Central government is also conducting a telephonic survey where citizens shall be contacted through their mobile phone from the number 1921, through NIC.

"All citizens are requested to participate to help get proper feedback on the prevalence and distribution of COVID-19 symptoms. Also, please be aware of any other calls by pranksters or calls from any other number in the guise of such a similar survey," it said.

"States/UTs are requested to inform the public about the survey through media in their States/UTs. They are also requested to inform people about the official nature of this exercise and create awareness of any other calls by pranksters or phishing/fishing attempts from any other number," it added.

According to data, as many as 20,471 people have tested positive for coronavirus across the country as on Wednesday, including 3,959 cured and 652 casualties.

( With inputs from ANI )

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