Preparation for the third wave of covid-19 begins.

In light of the massacre that was the second wave of covid-19 and the detection of delta plus variant of the novel coronavirus in several patients, Delhi and Gujrat have started preparations for the third wave.

Renowned critical care specialist Dr. Brijendra Kumar Rao said that irrespective of whether it comes or not, the country needs to prepare for the third wave of COVID. He pinpointed caution and preparation as the most critical steps. Taking the same approach, Delhi and Gujarat have already started their preparations.

Delhi

Delhi’s Chief Minister, Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, on June 16, 2021, said that the Delhi government will commence preparation for a possible third wave of the covid-19 pandemic and will train 5,000 youths as health assistants or community nursing assistants as part of preparations. 

The registration process for this training will begin on June 17. The training programme will start at the Indraprastha university on June 28, with the candidates divided into batches of 500 candidates. 

This post requires a candidate who must be Class 12 pass and the minimum age an individual can apply for this post is 18 years.

Indraprastha University will convey basic training to these individuals in paramedics, nursing, lifesaving first aid, and home care. The nine major medical institutes of Delhi will give the practical side of training. 

These professionals will be responsible for assisting doctors and nurses in the hospitals at the time of need. Once their training is done, these health assistants will be called upon whenever their valuable services are required during the third wave of the pandemic. The payment will be made according to the number of days they assist in the fight against the third wave, Mr. Kejriwal said.

Gujarat

Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani, said that Gujarat is preparing to deal with “double the intensity” of Covid-19 during a possible third wave of the pandemic compared to the second wave. Experts across the country have warned of a possible third wave of Covid-19, and the state government has formed a wholesome strategy to pre-empt its impact and ensure that minimum people are affected by it. 

Rupani said that the primary focus is on vaccinations. The vaccine doses are provided to around 3 lakh people daily, adding that about three crores more people would be administered vaccine in the next three months. 

The preparation for the third wave is done to deal with a maximum of 25,000 daily cases and 2,50,000 active cases. Against 1,800 hospitals during the second wave, the government plans to have 2,400 hospitals during the third wave. It will also increase the oxygen supply, ventilators, and ICU beds from 61,000, 7000, and 15,000 to 1,10,000, 15000, and 30,000, respectively.

The government will also deploy 4,000 specialist doctors, 10,000 MBBS/intern doctors, 22,000 nurses, 15,000 Class IV staff, and 10,000 attendants to bump human resources. It plans to fill up all vacant positions while also approving multiple posts on a contract basis for the same.

The action plan will also have provisions to ramp up the oxygen supply to 1,800 metric tonnes against the peak usage of 1,150 metric tonnes during the second wave.