<span style="color: #222222;">Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan today reviewed COVID clinical management efforts with all AIIMS, PGI at Chandigarh and Puducherry. During the meeting, he asserted that the recent COVID-19 surge is spreading fast and needs immediate attention. He said, in the shortest possible time,  the government has ramped up testing from one lab to 2467 labs today with a capacity of more than 15 lakh tests per day and also set up hospital infrastructure including COVID care Centres and hospitals. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Minister said over 12 thousand quarantine centres were established. He added that the country has also overcome the need for PPE kits, N95 masks which helped to tide over the pandemic last year. The Minister stated that India has crossed 13 crore vaccinations and the fatality rate of 1.18 per cent is one of the lowest in the world. He added that the present indicators tell about the significant control the country still has on the emerging situation. Dr Harsh Vardhan asked the directors to ensure that those who need hospital care, oxygen and ventilators are provided. He also asked them to explore avenues to monitor patients who may not need hospitalization through telephonic counselling.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">On the shortage of hands at the hospitals, Dr. Harsh Vardhan stressed the need to develop manpower and human resources saying those who are in other departments and units can be used for COVID care with training for a very short duration.</span><br />