The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on 19th April visited Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital to review the status of COVID-19 management. Keeping in view the emerging requirements for hospital preparedness, Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital is functioning as a dedicated 450-bedded COVID-19 hospital consisting of adequate isolation wards and beds.

At the COVID ward, the Minister spoke through video conferencing to a patient who was a doctor himself and was admitted at the facility after turning COVID positive while giving his services at the Airport for screening COVID patients and at Narela Quarantine.

The Minister said “I am happy to learn that he is hale and hearty and recuperating well at the hospital. It is very encouraging to see his high moral despite suffering from COVID himself.”

Before the lockdown, India’s doubling rate was about 3 days. As per the data received today by 8 AM, over the past seven days, the doubling rate is 7.2 days, for the past 14 days it is 6.2, and over the past 3 days, it stands at 9.7.

This is despite the fact that the number of tests done every day has increased by almost 14 times. Same way, if you look at growth factor – from 15^th March to 31^st, it was 2.1, whereas in April it has come down to 1.2 which is a good drop of 40% which is a positive indication and is really encouraging for the whole country. This also indicates that the total number of COVID-19 cases are not increasing and may start stabilising.”

Dr. Harsh Vardhan urged the people of India to observe the extended period of lockdown (till May 03, 2020) in letter and spirit and treat it as an effective intervention to cut down the chain of transmission of COVID-19. He said by observing discipline in day to day life during Lockdown 2.0 would reap us rich dividends in terms of turning the tide against COVID-19. “We have won the battles and we will win this war against COVID-19 for sure”.