India is continually strengthening COVID-19 preparedness and response measures: WHO

The Regional Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh has said that India responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with “utmost urgency from the start”. While the coronavirus infections in the country are nearing 12 lakh, Singh said that in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, India has been constantly enhancing its “preparedness and response measures” including the ramping-up of COVID-19 testing, readying more hospitals to treat the patients and even storing the favourable treatments of the fatal disease. 

Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region said, “India is responding with utmost urgency to COVID19 from start.”

“It's been continually strengthening preparedness & response measures, including ramping up testing capacities, readying more hospitals, arranging & stocking up medicines & essentials,” she added. 

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'Varying capacities are not unusual'

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh also noted that the United Nations health agency is aware of the 'varying capacities' at the sub-national levels but added that it is "not unusual" for a country like India and its huge population. The regional director of WHO, South-East Asia Region acknowledged that sometimes the effective measures taken at the national level often "not be uniformly sufficient" for all the areas. Therefore, she said, the scaling up of operations in response to COVID-19 pandemic remains a "constant need" in India. 

"We're aware of varying capacities at sub-national levels. Not unusual in country as big as India & its population size, that measures taken may often not be uniformly sufficient across all areas. Scaling up capacities & response remains constant need in India," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh.

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(With inputs from ANI)