Indian govt rushes health teams to virus-hit states following surge in COVID-19 cases

NEW DELHI -- The Indian government has sent 50 high level multi-disciplinary public health teams to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab states in view of the recent surge in daily COVID-19 cases and mortality reported there, officials said on Tuesday.

The teams were dispatched to assist local health officials in COVID-19 surveillance, control and containment measures.

A statement issued by the health ministry said the teams were being rushed to 30 districts of Maharashtra, 11 districts of Chhattisgarh and nine districts of Punjab.

Each high-level team consists of a clinician or epidemiologist and a public health expert.

"The teams will visit the states immediately and monitor the overall implementation of COVID-19 management, especially in testing, including surveillance and containment operations, COVID-19 appropriate behavior and its enforcement, availability of hospital beds, sufficient logistics including ambulances, ventilators, medical oxygen etc., and COVID-19 vaccination progress," the statement said.

The government has appointed three senior officers as nodal officers for these states. The high-level teams will report to and coordinate with the nodal officers for these states.

The federal government has been leading the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic with a "whole of government and whole of society approach under the umbrella strategy of cooperative federalism," the health ministry said.

The government has been deputing teams from time to time to visit various states showing a spike in COVID-19 cases.