New Delhi:
"Over-preparation" and ruthless implementation is the new mantra with which the government has decided to fight the spread of coronavirus, which has infected over 4,000 in India.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has instructed all states and Union Territories to ensure Pharma units making devices and medicines related to COVID-19 run seamlessly.
In a video call on Sunday, India's top bureaucrat also asked district magistrates and health authorities to be overzealous in their fight against coronavirus and plan ahead.
"Be over-prepared in terms of quarantine centres and also isolation wards. Keep medicine supplies updated," Mr Gauba instructed.
The Cabinet Secretary also said the lockdown should be implemented strictly and anyone trying to violate it should be dealt with legally.
With 693 testing positive in 24 hours, the highest in a day, India now as 4,067 coronavirus cases and 109 people have died.
The next big challenge assigned to officials who attended the Cabinet Secretary's video-conference is the identification of clusters and to come out with a containment strategy.
Ministry of Home Affairs also addressed problems related to Pharma sectors after complaints from the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, a body which represents pharmaceutical companies.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote a letter to the Himachal Pradesh secretary to ensure interstate movement of employees after this issue was raised by many companies.
Reports reaching Delhi indicate that while manufacturing companies in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh have been able to go ahead with their operations, those in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Daman and Madhya Pradesh have been paralysed because of the lockdown.
"Earlier transportation was the issue, now all checkpoints and tolls have been instructed to clear consignments containing medical supplies," Jaspal Singh, Goa police chief, told NDTV.
In Goa, there are 57 big pharma manufacturing units.
"We have managed to operationalise 90 percent of our units. And we are maintaining proper safety precautions in terms of social distancing and sanitising of areas," President of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Units (goa) Praveen Khullar told NDTV.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also getting regular and uninterrupted supplies of essential commodities on time. Area around Port Blair has about 3 lakh people. "Lockdown is being implemented here in strict terms," DGP (Andamans) Depender Pathak told NDTV.
