Why in news?
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at his second video conference with Chief Ministers on 2nd April 2020 told them that it was “important to formulate a common exit strategy to ensure staggered re-emergence of the population once the lockdown ends.”
- He asked the States to brainstorm and send suggestions for the exit strategy.
Highlights of what the Prime Minister said:
- Our first priority for the next few weeks should be testing, tracing, isolating and quarantine. For this all State to district level efforts must be coordinated.
- District-level disease surveillance officers should be appointed as soon as possible to make sure that penetration of this strategy is optimum.
- The data collected from private laboratories allowed to test should be collated district-wise to be utilised for further strategising on tackling the pandemic.
About Supply Lines
- The PM emphasised that the supply lines for medical equipment and drugs and raw materials needed for the manufacture of these products need to be kept seamless, even more than supplies of other products.
- He said Every State should ensure that there are separate hospitals for COVID-19 patients and the doctors attending them need to be protected.
- He urged the states to step up online training of doctors in the treatment of COVID-19.
Route to be taken to manage Supplies
- This being the harvest season in many parts of the country, farmers and labourers, exempted from the lockdown, were engaged in harvest operations and they should maintain some social distancing even on fields.
- For procurement, we must find ways to do it beyond the route of Agricultural Produce Marketing Corporations (APMC).
- A truck pooling scheme should also be worked out with farmers for ferrying produce to the market.
- Harvesting will possibly need to be done in a staggering manner.
Other Recommendations of the Prime Minister
- The monies and grains released under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana should be disbursed speedily.
- Volunteers of the National Cadet Corps and the National Service Scheme would also be recruited in the effort to combat COVID-19.
- Other than this, crisis management groups should coordinate with as many NGOs as possible and strategies should be shared with all stakeholders as we need everyone’s help at this time.
- Other than this, crisis management groups should coordinate with as many NGOs as possible and strategies should be shared with all stakeholders as we need everyone’s help at this time.
