British diplomats laud COVID containment measures

Acting British Higher Commissioner in India Jan Thompson held discussions with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on the potential for collaboration in health care, through a virtual meeting on Friday.

Ms. Thompson and Andrew Fleming, Deputy High Commissioner for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, appreciated the government’s initiatives in public health, with special reference to the COVID-19 containment measures.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the State had scaled up testing and was successful in keeping the mortality rate low.

The State was conducting about 62,000 tests per day, 90% of which was in the containment clusters. Tracing, testing and isolation were being quickly taken up, as a result of which the mortality rate was hovering over 0.89%, he said.

Ms. Thompson said the MoU that was recently signed with AP Med Tech Zone for manufacturing medical equipment would be useful in controlling COVID, and that the U.K. would encourage start-ups in that regard and jointly work with the government.

The partnership with England’s National Health Mission would help in rendering emergency health care services.

While the vaccine for COVID was being developed by the Oxford University, in all likelihood vaccines would be manufactured in India in the due course, the British diplomats observed.