No substitute to testing, tracking, treatment: PM Modi at COVID review meet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a meeting with top officials over the COVID-19 situation in India, during which he said that there “was no substitute to testing, tracking, treatment,” PTI reported. 

India recorded a single-day rise of 2,34,692 cases and 1,341 fatalities on Friday, pushing the country’s COVID-19 tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll to 1,75,649.

During Saturday’s meeting, PM Modi reviewed the preparedness of public health response to COVID-19 situation and also the status of the supply of Remdesivir, other medicines. 

PM Modi told the officials that all necessary measures must be taken in order to ramp up the availability of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients and that the local administrations need to be proactive, sensitive to people’s concerns, PTI reported. 

He also said that the black marketing of medicines such as Remdesivir needs to be curbed.

“Use of Remdesivir, other medicines must follow approved medical guidelines and their misuse, black marketing must be strictly curbed,” he said.