Video
Conference of senior health professionals of SAARC countries on the fight
against Covid-19
March
27, 2020
The
Prime Minister had announced at the Video Conference of SAARC Leaders on 15
March 2020 that health professionals of all SAARC member states could hold a
video conference to carry forward collaboration in the common fight against
Covid19 at the practical level.
As implementation of that announcement, a video conference of health
professionals representing all SAARC countries at the level of Director General
of Health Services (DGHS) was held on 26 March 2020. At this conference chaired
by the DGHSof India, a wide range of issues relating to Covid19were discussed
extensively with active and purposeful participation of all sides.
On India’s part, a comprehensive presentation was made on India’s response,
covering the aspects of disease surveillance, contact tracing, travel
restrictions and evacuation, risk assessment, diagnostics, isolation and
quarantine methods and facilities, clinical management of patients, treatment
options and protocols and safety of healthcare providers. Likewise, all other
SAARC countries shared their own experiences of dealing with the Covid19
challenge in their respective settings. All countries also highlighted their
specific vulnerabilities, capacities, best practices, gaps in resources and
logistics, private sector participation as well as levels of preparedness.
Community engagement and participation was identified as an important element
in any anti-Covid19 strategy to augment the large scale emergency measures
undertaken by the governments in the SAARC region.
India proposed a shared electronic platform for all SAARC nations to share and
exchange information, knowledge, expertise and best practices for jointly
combating the coronavirus epidemic. It was informed that considerable work has
already gone into the creation of the platform, which could also serve as a
multipurpose vehicle to further discussand conduct activities such as online
training for emergency response personnel, knowledge partnerships, sharing of
expertise in disease surveillance, including the corresponding software, and
joint research for new diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for epidemic
diseases. The Indian side proposed that till such time the electronic platform
is fully operational, a network of experts representing the Health Services of
all SAARC countries may set up on email/whatsapp to enable exchange of all
relevant information between the SAARC countries on real time basis.
The enthusiastic and constructive participation by all SAARC member states
demonstrated the shared commitment to work together to defeat the challenge
posed by the coronavirus epidemic in the region.
New Delhi
March 27, 2020
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