Corona JN-1 variant – Maharashtra Chief minister reviews health apparatus preparedness

Thane, 21st December 2023: The new variant of Coronavirus JN-1 has been found in India and in Maharashtra. On this backdrop, the Chief minister Eknath Shinde held a meeting with the entire health machinery along with all district collectors. He directed to keep ready isolation facilities along with oxygen beds in addition to conducting structural, electric and fire audit at all the hospitals. He appealed to the citizens to abide by all the Corona preventive directions without panicking. He assured that the entire state machinery is ready.

The meeting conducted audio-visually by the chief minister was attended by health minister Dr Tanaji Savant, minister for medical education Hasan Mushrif, chief secretary Manoj Sounik, additional chief secretary to the chief minister Bhushan Gagrani, principal secretary Vikas Kharge, principal secretary Brijesh Singh, additional chief secretary to the health department Milind Mhaiskar, all divisional commissioners, collectors and officials from other concerned departments.

Chief minister directed to assess whether oxygen plants, ventilators, oxygen pipelines, RTPCR labs, liquid oxygen plants are in place or not and while ensuring that all these are in working conditions, he asked them to review the vaccination. He also asked the officials to keep the machinery ready for any vaccinations if needed.

Asking officials to ensure that there is adequate stock of vaccines and medicines, he asked officials to form a task force and seek guidance from the task force experts. He also reviewed the current situation about Covid Centres along with isolation beds, ICU beds, ventilator beds.

Reminding the entire health apparatus that the country could successfully combat Corona calamity courageously under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said that the entire World followed India’s footsteps in this regard. Pointing out that the state machinery was ready even today on the basis of previous experience, he said that there is no reason whatsoever to panic and appealed to citizens to immediately go for a check up even in case of symptoms of cold, cough and fever. Asking people to use masks in public, especially crowded places, he said that during ensuing festivities and new year celebrations we should take due precautions so that we should not spread any infection.

Expressing the need for precautions against spread of wrong news by the media and social media about the new variant he appealed using only authenticated and official information while spreading any information or news so that it would not result in creating fear psychosis or confusion among masses.

Stating that entire government machinery is fully prepared and ready to combat any situation, he said that equipment, stock of medicines and allied material is abundantly available he appealed people to take due precautions without any fear.

Minister for medical education Mushrif and health minister Dr Savant informed the meeting about health machinery preparedness which included all the equipment related aspects and told that a mock drill about the entire health apparatus was conducted between December 15th and 17th 2023.

Mhaiskar informed that at present there are 63 thousand isolation beds, 33 thousand oxygen beds, 9500 ICU beds and 6000 ventilator beds available in the state. He informed that at present, there are 45 Corona patients found in the entire state, which include 27 in Mumbai, 8 in Pune, 8 in Thane and one each in Kolhapur and Raigad. The principal secretary to the chief minister, DGIPR DG and principal secretary to the DGIPR Brijesh Singh told the meeting that an awareness campaign would be run about the new JN 1 variant.