COVID-19: Apex Industry Body CII Calls For Highest Level Response Including Curtailment Of Economic Activity

In a significant development, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has said that the country needs the highest level response measures to deal with the ongoing surge in fresh COVID-19 cases and emphasised that the measures could include curtailing of economic activities, reports Economic Times.

In a statement issued yesterday (2 May), CII president Uday Kotak said, "At this critical juncture when the toll of lives is rising, CII urges the strongest national steps including curtailing economic activity to reduce suffering."

The statement expressed worry that at the current pace of daily caseloads, the requirement for hospital beds and ICU beds, oxygen, and medicines will continue to escalate and at the same time, medical personnel who are already overstretched will be further pressurized.

The statement quoted Kotak emphasising, "We must heed expert advice on this subject – from India and abroad. Highest response measures are needed to break the chain of contagion and also use the time to rapidly build up capacity."

While advocating that the number of RT-PCR testing should be double the present daily numbers, CII also suggested that the requirements for testing kits can be met through imports or ramping up of domestic manufacturing.

The industry body also pressed on temporary medical facilities with the Armed Forces and other paramilitary forces, using existing infrastructure facilities like school and college premises, sheds, parks with tents, as Covid care facilities. CII added that the medical equipment for these facilities can be sourced from across the country through Indian Air Force flights or Army trucks.