Lt. Governor, Radha Krishna Mathur convened a meeting with officers of the administration on July 14 and discussed preventive strategies and control measures for a possible third wave of the pandemic.

Aiming to improve the immunity of the vulnerable population, LG Mathur advised the Department of Health & Medical Education to draft a plan of action where the population below 18 years of age will be provided with immunity boosters and supplements. He suggested the involvement of the National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa and the Social Welfare Department in this exercise.

Provision of basic devices for monitoring the health of the children viz. pulse oxymeter, thermometer etc. at Anganwadi centres was also instructed.

For vaccination of pregnant women, Lt. Governor suggested that services of Asha and Anganwadi workers may be utilized under strict compliance with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI, guidelines. L-G Mathur also instructed officials to ensure biomedical devices, pediatric ventilators, pediatric drugs for neonates and infants.

To further strengthen COVID testing facilities in the Union Territory, the prospect of utilizing private laboratories and mobile vans was suggested. Expressing the need for variant detection of the positive cases, LG Mathur instructed exploring ways to utilise the sequencing device available at the Wildlife Department of Ladakh.

He also reviewed the status of the contractual/outsourced medical staff and urged that the contract extension process may be expedited.

For better monitoring and quick redressal of medical issues among the residents, LG Mathur stressed the need for surveillance at grass root level and analysis of the daily reports. He suggested involving the Panchayati Raj Institutions also to carry out this crucial exercise. The addition of Advanced & Basic Life Support ambulances, implementation of Ayushman Bharat - PM Jan Arogya Yojana & Universal Health coverage, setting up of psychiatric cells was also deliberated upon during the meeting.

Advisor Umang Narula; Principal Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Dr. Pawan Kotwal; Secretary, Social Welfare, Padma Angmo; Director, Health Tsering Angchok and Additional Secretary Health/MD National Health Mission, Iftiqar Ahmad attended the meeting.