Harsh Vardhan reviews preparedness of top 10 medical institutes to fight COVID-19

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday held a video conference with the directors of top ten medical institutes and reviewed the preparedness to combat COVID-19.

The minister held discussion with medical directors of All India Institutes Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry and Post Graduate Institute (PGI) Chandigarh, through video conferencing over their additional requirement to combat COVID-19.

"I reviewed the preparedness of the top ten medical institutes to fight COVID-19. I have talked to their directors and asked them if these institutes need any more equipment that the central government can provide," Vardhan said.

"I have talked to the directors of AIIMS, Raipur, Nagpur, Delhi, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar, Patna and JIPMER Puducherry and PGI Chandigarh," he added.

The minister said that the government has instructed the AIIMS to act proactively and remove the stigma around COVID-19 patients.

"We have instructed AIIMS to provide leadership to control the virus and make people aware of it. As people will listen more carefully to the doctors and the situation will be handled easily. We have asked them to work proactively in their respective states as their duties do not confine to the hospitals only in this time," Vardhan said.

"We have also asked them to work to remove the stigma around the COVID-19 patients," he further said.

( With inputs from ANI )