SC asks Centre to provide PPEs to non-Covid doctors, healthcare workers

The order was passed by the apex court on Monday, but it was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website on Tuesday late evening

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Centre to make available the essential PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) to non-Covid doctors and other healthcare workers engaged in treating the non-Covid patients. A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice NV Ramana and also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and B R Gavai, passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Dr Jerryl Banait. The order was passed by the apex court on Monday, but it was uploaded on the Supreme Court’s website on Tuesday late evening.

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“We direct the respondent, Union of India (UOI) to examine this issue and make necessary suggestions in the rational use of PPE guidelines so that these PPEs are provided to all health officials, who are working in non-Covid treatment areas,” the apex court said in its order.”We find substance in the petitioner’s suggestions that the non-Covid doctors and healthcare professionals should be given PPEs to treat those patients of non-Covid,” it added.

The top court passed the order after hearing from the petitioner, Dr Banait, and Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who had appeared for the Centre. The petitioner sought appropriate orders/directions, from the Supreme Court for providing PPEs to all healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, ward boys and other medical and paramedical professionals, who are working in all in Covid-19 treatment areas.

Coronavirus pandemic: China ends 76-day lockdown imposed on epicentre Wuhan

Along the embankments and bridges, citizens waved flags and chanted “Wuhan, let’s go!” and sang a capella renditions of China’s national anthem.

The lockdown of Wuhan, which served as a model for countries battling the coronavirus outbreak around the world, has finally ended after 11 weeks. Chinese authorities are allowing residents of Wuhan to travel in and out of the sprawling city, which was the epicentre of the virus outbreak. From Wednesday midnight, the city’s 11 million residents are permitted to leave without special authorisation as long as a mandatory smartphone application powered by a mix of data-tracking and government surveillance shows they are healthy and have not been in contact with anyone confirmed to have the virus recently.

The occasion was marked with a light show on either side of the Yangtze river, with skyscrapers and bridges radiating animated images of health workers aiding patients, along with one displaying the words ‘heroic city’, a title bestowed upon Wuhan by president and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Along the embankments and bridges, citizens waved flags, chanted “Wuhan, let’s go!” and sang a capella renditions of China’s national anthem.

“I haven’t been outside for more than 70 days,” said an emotional Tong Zhengkun, who was watching the display from a bridge. Residents in his apartment complex had contracted Covid-19, so the entire building was locked down. He couldn’t go out even to buy groceries, which neighbourhood workers brought to his door. “Being indoors for so long drove me crazy,” he said…Read More

Covid-19 Factoid: Counting the dead – from the US to Punjab and Iran

The US remains the most affected country with over 340,000 cases and the death toll at over 11,000

The global tally for Covid-19 cases is now nearing the 1.4 million mark and more than 76,000 people have lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back home, India is inching closer to the tally of 5,000 cases and the death toll has risen to 125. The US remains the most affected country, with over 340,000 cases and the deaths now at over 11,000. It has recorded more than 1,000 deaths daily for four straight days.

Here are a few data trends showing the magnitude of the pandemic spread across 181 nations.

#1. The death toll in the US has crossed the 10,000 mark, slower than in Italy and Spained

While the US is the worst affect country globally when it comes to the total number of coronavirus-infected persons, the country’s path to cross the 10,000 deaths has been slower than Italy and Spain. Overall, Italy has the highest number of reported deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic.

#2. Italy has the highest death rate, followed by Netherlands

Despite the progressive growth in the number of deaths due to coronavirus infection in the US, it still fares better than Italy and Spain in terms of death rate. Italy, with over 1,40,000 cases and over 16,000 deaths, has a death rate of over 12 per cent. Italy is followed by Netherlands, with a death rate of around 11 per cent. The US has had a much lower rate of 3 per cent as of now….Read More

To fight Covid-19, India will need 15 mn PPEs, 50,000 ventilators by June

The government conveyed the numbers to industry representatives, according to a report

As the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases is on the rise in India, the central government has estimated a steep rise in demand for personal protective equipment (PPEs) and coronavirus diagnostic kit in the coming months. The country would require an estimated 27 million N95 masks, 15 million PPEs, 1.6 million diagnostic kits, and 50,000 ventilators by June 2020, according to an Indian Express report.

In a meeting on April 3, the government officials entrusted with various coronavirus task forces conveyed the numbers to the industry representatives, the report states. The meeting that was headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, was reportedly held for coordinating with the private sector, NGOs and international organisations on the pandemic situation in the country and was also attended by FICCI representatives.

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Of the estimated demand of 50,000 ventilators in the next two months, 16,000 are already available, and orders have been placed for the remaining 34,000 ventilators. Further, the government is also planning to procure ventilators and PPEs from abroad to deal with any shortage. The Ministry of External Affairs has also been roped in for this purpose, according to the report.

The ‘projected demand’ is critical for the industry to plan investments and keep up with the production of essential equipments amid the virus outbreak, the IE report states. The country had witnessed an acute shortage of PPEs in the initial stages of the outbreak. So far, eleven groups have been constituted and tasked by the government to monitor the situation of pandemic across the country and coordinate the response..