COVID-19 UPDATES AS ON 21.3.2021

 

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

India has crossed a Key Milestone in Universal Primary Healthcare

Target of Operationalizing 70,000 Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) achieved Ahead of Time

About 41.35 crore people have accessed primary healthcare services at the AB-HWCs

More than 9.45 lakh Tele-consultations done at the HWCs

Posted On: 21 MAR 2021 9:55AM by PIB Delhi

 

India marked another key milestone in universalising Primary Health Care today. The planned target of operationalizing 70,000 Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) by 31^st March 2021 has been realised ahead of time. 

The feat of scaling up at this pace despite the COVID pandemic was enabled by a high degree of coordination between the Centre and States/UTs, foresight in planning, flexibility in adaptation, standardization of processes, and regular interactions at all levels which enabled supportive monitoring and prompt redressal of issues. This is testimony to the process of effective decentralization and cooperative federalism.  

The launch of Ayushman Bharat- Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) in April 2018 marked a watershed moment in India’s public health history. By December 2022, 1,50,000 Sub-Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in urban and rural areas were targeted to be transformed to AB-HWCs and deliver comprehensive primary health care that includes preventive and health promotion at the community level with continuum of care and which is universal, free and close to community in rural and urban areas, with focus also on wellness. This mission mode approach also aimed at realising India’s vision of Universal Health Coverage.

Addition of a new cadre of workforce, a trained non-physician health worker with BSc Nursing/BAMS qualification, designated as Community Health Officer (CHO) leads the Sub-Health Centre AB-HWC’s primary care team of health workers and AHSAs. 

·                                 Besides expanding and strengthening the existing Reproductive and Child Health (RMNCHA+N) services and Communicable Diseases services, the functional AB-HWCs provide services related to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (screening and management for NCDs such as Hypertension, Diabetes and 3 common cancers of Oral, Breast and Cervix) and incrementallyadding other primary healthcare services for mental health, ENT, Ophthalmology, oral health, geriatric and palliative health care and trauma care etc.

·                                 Essential diagnostics list expanded to complement all CPHC services, to be provided as point of care or hub and spoke services.

o                                                        HSC-HWCs: existing 7 to 14 tests

o                                                        PHC-HWCs: existing 19 to 63 tests

·                                 List of Essential Medicines has been expanded at all SHC and PHC AB-HWCs and the same is being supported under National Free Drugs Service Initiative of National Health Mission to ensure uninterrupted supply of drugs to patients including for treatment for Hypertension and Diabetes

o                                                        SHC-HWCs: from existing 57 to 105 medicines

o                                                        PHC-HWCs: from existing 232 to 172 medicinesHWCs demonstrate a high potential for positive outcomes in terms of gender equity for care seeking, and promoting wellness as a critical component of primary health care.  To date, about 41.35 crore people have accessed care in these AB-HWCs.  About 54% of them are women. 

The HWCs also focus on wellness and healthy lifestyles through various activities. So far, these Centres have conducted 64.4 lakhs wellness sessions. Depending on the local context, States are undertaking various wellness activities including Yoga, local sports, Zumba (in NE States), etc. These centres also follow a calendar of 39 health promotion days spread over a year.

Preventive Health Care is the essential component of the services delivered through HWCs. Population enumeration of 30yrs+ population through Community Based Assessment Checklist (CBAC) is done through community health workers (ASHA and ANMs) and based on risk stratification, the screening of the individuals for NCDs have been carried out.  The identified individuals with the chronic conditions are put on treatment with necessary follow-up. So far, 9.1 crore screenings for Hypertension, 7.4 crores screenings for Diabetes, 4.7 crore screenings for oral cancer, 2.4 crores screenings for Breast Cancer in women and 1.7 crore screenings for cervical cancer in women have been done.  

Tele-consultation services are another key component of the HWCs. More than 9.45 lakh Teleconsultations have been done at the HWCs. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, AB-HWCs played a significant role in undertaking public health action related to COVID prevention and enabling non-COVID essential health services.  About 75% of total NCD Screenings have been conducted during this COVID period (between 1^st February 2020 to till date) itself, showing the confidence reposed by people in these AB-HWCs during the present public health challenge.

More than 60% of team leaders (CHOs and Medical Officers) and more than 90% of field workers of HWC teams are women. This is a testimony to a gender sensitive approach to healthcare.Community ownership and community management of these Centres are envisaged through the institutional mechanism of Jan Arogya Samitis (JASs) and JAS are being formed at all functional AB-HWCs to enable accountability of the health care teams.

AB-HWCs are proving to be a pivotal force for India’s Health Systems. The quantum of services delivered and the pace of implementation, inspire confidence that the programme is on track to realize the vision to deliver affordable Comprehensive Primary Health Care services closer to people.

Expanded Service Packages provided under AB-HWC are as follows:

 

1.       Care in Pregnancy and Child Birth.

2.       Neonatal and Infant health care services.

3.       Childhood and Adolescent health care services.

4.       Family planning, contraceptive services and other reproductive health care services

5.       Management of communicable diseases: National Health programmes

6.       General out-patient care for acute simple illnesses and minor ailments

7.       Screening, prevention, control and management of non-communicable diseases and chronic communicable diseases like tuberculosis and leprosy

8.       Basic oral health care

9.       Screening and basic management of mental Health ailments

10.    Care for common ophthalmic and ENT problem

11.    Elderly and palliative health care services

12.    Emergency medical services including burns and trauma.

Mass Drug Administration for filariasis conducted by health workers of Ayushman Bharat HWC Araju, Bokaro in Jharkhand

Status of achievement towards operationalization of AB-HWCs as on 20.03.2021 based on AB-HWC Portal

 

Sl.No.	Name of the State	No. of Functional HWCs as on 21.3.2021
1	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	80
2	Andhra Pradesh	3411
3	Arunachal Pradesh	211
4	Assam	2212
5	Bihar	1738
6	Chandigarh	28
7	Chhattisgarh	2661
8	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	60
9	Daman & Diu	30
10	Goa	102
11	Gujarat	5097
12	Haryana	725
13	Himachal Pradesh	741
14	Jammu & Kashmir	1114
15	Jharkhand	1462
16	Karnataka	5838
17	Kerala	2318
18	Ladakh	89
19	Lakshadweep	3
20	Madhya Pradesh	6146
21	Maharashtra	8603
22	Manipur	180
23	Meghalaya	248
24	Mizoram	139
25	Nagaland	218
26	Odisha	1629
27	Puducherry	119
28	Punjab	2550
29	Rajasthan	2482
30	Sikkim	62
31	Tamil Nadu	4286
32	Telangana	1577
33	Tripura	291
34	Uttar Pradesh	8223
35	Uttarakhand	661
36	West Bengal	4681
Total		70015

 

 

 

 

 

*- Delhi is not implementing the scheme.

 

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MV/SJ

HFW/HFW AB-HWC 70K/21^stMarch/1

 

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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh account for 77.7% of the new cases reported in last 24 hours

Over 4.4 cr COVID19 vaccine doses administered

More than 25 Lakh doses given in the last 24 hours

Posted On: 21 MAR 2021 12:09PM by PIB Delhi

 

Some States in the country are noticing a spike in the daily new cases. Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh account for 77.7% of the new cases in last 24 hours.

43,846 new daily cases reported in last 24 hours.

83.14% of the new cases are from 6 States.

Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 27,126. It is followed by Punjab with 2,578 while Kerala reported 2,078 new cases. 

The graphs below highlight the COVID19 trajectory in the eight states/UTs and top five districts contributing maximum to the new cases.

Over 4.4 cr (4,46,03,841)vaccine doses have been administered through 7,25,138 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am today. These include 77,79,985 HCWs (1st dose), 48,77,356 HCWs (2nd dose), 80,84,311 FLWs (1^st dose) and 26,01,298 FLWs (2^nd Dose), 36,33,473 beneficiaries aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (1^st Dose) and 1,76,27,418 beneficiaries aged more than 60 years.

 

HCWs		FLWs		45 to <60 years with Co-morbidities	Over 60 years
1st Dose	2nd Dose	1st Dose	2nd Dose	1st Dose	1st Dose
77,79,985	48,77,356	80,84,311	26,01,298	36,33,473	1,76,27,418	1

 

Totalo 4.46.03.841

As on Day-64 of the vaccination drive (20^th March, 2021), more than25 Lakh (25,40,449) vaccine doses were given. Out of which, 22,83,157 beneficiaries were vaccinated across 38,669 sessions for 1^st dose (HCWs and FLWs) and 2,57,292 HCWs and FLWs received 2^nd dose of vaccine.

 

Date: 20th March, 2021
HCWs		FLWs		45to<60 years with Co-morbidities				Over 60years			Total Achievement
1stDose	2ndDose	1stDose	2nd Dose	1stDose		1stDose		1stDose				2ndDose
73,146	73,071	1,26,705	1,84,221	4,09,861		16,73,445		22,83,157				2,57,292

 

India’s total Active Caseload stands at 3.09 lakh (3,09,087) today. A net incline of 20,693 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours.

On the other hand, India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,11,30,288 today. The national Recovery Rate is 95.96%. 22,956 recoveries were registered in the last 24 hours.

197 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

Six States account for 86.8% of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (92). Punjab follows with 38 daily deaths. Kerala reported15 deaths.

Seventeen States/UTs have not reported any COVID19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Rajasthan, Assam, Goa, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand, Lakshadweep, Sikkim, Puducherry, D&D & D&N, Nagaland, Tripura, Ladakh (UT), Manipur, Mizoram, A&N Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

 

                                                                                                                                               

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MV/SJ
HFW/COVID States data/21^stMarch2021/1

(Release ID: 1706396) Visitor Counter : 447

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Union Health Secretary writes to Chief Secretary Uttarakhand

Strongly highlights need for stringent measures to control the spread of Covid19 during Kumbh Mela

Posted On: 21 MAR 2021 11:40AM by PIB Delhi

 

Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has written to Chief Secretary Uttarakhand strongly highlighting the concerns raised by the high level central team in its visit to Uttarakhand and about the need of stringent measures to control the spread of Covid19 during Kumbh Mela.

A high level Central Team led by Director NCDC visited Uttarakhand on 16th-17th March, 2021 to review the medical and public health preparedness measures undertaken by the state for the ongoing Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.

The Union Health Secretary has also observed that currently more than 12 states in India have shown a surge in COVID19 cases during past few weeks, and pilgrims expected to visit Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela could also be from these States. It has been noted that there is a potential of an upsurge in cases in the local population after the auspicious Shahi Snan days during the Kumbh Mela.

The Secretary also noted that as per the report of the Central Team, 10-20 pilgrims and 10-20 locals are being reported positive every day. This positivity rate has the potential to rapidly turning to an upsurge in cases, given the expected large footfall during Kumbh.

The State has been informed that the daily testing numbers reported in Haridwar (i.e.50,000 Rapid Antigen Tests and 5,000 RTPCR tests) are not enough to effectively offset huge number of expected pilgrim footfall. It has been advised that the share of RTPCR tests being conducted at present needs to be significantly increased as per the ICMR guidelines to ensure that the pilgrims and local population is appropriately tested.

The State Government is also advised to undertake the following measures:-

         i.            Follow scruplously the SOPs issued by MoHFW. Display signages to disseminate the main points of these SoPs.

        ii.            Increase awareness of self-reporting, especially among local population, in case of symptoms suggestive of COVID-19

      iii.            Set up system for generating early warning signals in areas with susceptible population by monitoring trend of ARI/ ILI cases through Emergency Operational Centres.

      iv.            Target significantly enhanced testing in potential high transmission areas.

        v.            Continue periodic testing of frontline workers before and after auspicious snan days of the Kumbh.

      vi.            Ensure operationalization of adequate critical care treatment facilities.

     vii.            Effective risk communication, by using all forms of media platforms, for strict adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour.

   viii.            In case of surge in cases/super spreader events, promptly send samples for genome sequenci ng in consultation with NCDC.

The Union Health Secretary has urged the Uttarakhand government to take a stock of the public health measures being undertaken by the State in consonance with the aforesaid recommendations of the Health Ministry.

 

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MV/SJ
HFW/Secy letter to Uttarakhand /21^stMarch 2021/2

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