Need to have common strategy in Delhi-NCR for tackling COVID-19: Amit Shah
Jun 18, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 18 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday chaired a meeting to review the preparations for tackling COVID-19 in which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took part.
The Home Minister laid stress on a unified strategy to tackle COVID-19 pandemic.
"Keeping in view the close-knit urban structure of the NCR region, it is necessary for all concerned authorities in Delhi and the NCR region to come together to tackle the virus," he said.
He said there is a need to conduct more tests and to identify and treat those who are diagnosed as positive. The minister said there is a need to work in a mission mode.
Amit Shah said an expert committee under the chairmanship of NITI Aayog Member Dr VK Paul has fixed a price of COVID-19 test at Rs 2,400 for and if the price for such tests is higher in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the state governments can decide to lower their prices after internal consultations.
A Home Ministry release said the minister told the meeting that the committee has also decided on rates for COVID-19 beds and treatment and these rates could also be applied to hospitals in the NCR region after consultations.
The minister said it would be better to conduct COVID-19 testing through the new rapid antigen methodology which has been approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), as it will ramp up testing capacity and will help in early diagnosis and early treatment.
He directed officials from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to submit information about COVID-19 beds, ventilators, oxygen cylinders, ICU and ambulances available with them and their plan to augment these resources by July 15 to Union Home Ministry so that a common strategy can be devised in the National Capital Region (NCR) in the battle against the virus.
Amit Shah assured all possible support from the central government to the authorities in the NCR region in their efforts against the virus.
Senior officials from the union government, chief secretaries of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and other senior officers from Delhi-NCR including district magistrates and police commissioners took part in the meeting.
