J&K prepares capacity expansion plan to tackle a possible third wave of COVID ▪️ Chief Secretary directs robust surveillance and speedy, targeted vaccination

SRINAGAR: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired a meeting to oversee the preparation of action plan for tackling a possible third wave of COVID in Jammu and Kashmir based on the recommendations of an expert Advisory Committee headed by Prof. Mohammad Sultan Khuroo.
Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education, Atal Dulloo; Prof. Mohammad Sultan Khuroo, and Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) participated in the meeting.

The Chief Secretary complimented the efforts of the Health & Medical Education Department in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by maintaining high level testing and vaccination rates, and ramping up COVID dedicated medical facilities. He emphasized the need for strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behavior in addition to vigorous vaccination drives for successful containment of the disease.
It was informed that in comparison to the first wave which was slow, gradual, and mostly affected elderly/co-morbid population; the second wave was abrupt, steep, and severely infected the young and middle-aged population. As such, it was stressed that the trajectory of the disease must be put under meticulous surveillance for early detection of new trends towards a probable third wave.
The Health and Medical Education Department was asked to constitute a medical advisory team consisting of field experts in virology, epidemiology, and microbiology to provide multi-dimensional scientific recommendations for evidence-based scientific management of COVID-19.
The Chief Secretary directed the Department to conduct stratified serological surveys in Jammu and Kashmir for ascertaining natural/ vaccine induced seropositivity in the population and identifying susceptible groups and areas in the Union territory to be taken up under targeted vaccination drives.