Only 0.35 per cent coronavirus cases on ventilators in India: Health Ministry

New Delhi [India], July 17 (ANI): The actual caseload of COVID-19 in the country is only 342,756, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday adding that only 1.94 per cent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 per cent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 per cent cases are on Oxygen beds.
With the highest single-day spike of 34,956 cases and 687 deaths, India's COVID-19 positive cases crossed the 10-lakh mark on Friday, according to the ministry.
The total positive cases stand at 1,003,832 including 342,473 active cases, 635,757 cured/discharged/migrated and 25,602 deaths, the ministry stated.
"The actual caseload of COVID-19 cases in the country is only 342,756, as on date. More than 6.35 lakhs (63.33 per cent) of the total cases have recovered. India, being the second most populous country in the world with 1.35 billion people, has 727.4 cases per million. On the global scale, cases/million population in India are four to eight times less than some European countries," the ministry said in a statement.
The Union Health Ministry highlighted that the case fatality rate at 18.6 deaths/million of the country is one of the lowest in the world.
"Almost 80 per cent of the asymptomatic and mild cases have been advised home isolation under medical supervision. The moderate and severe patients are being treated in either the Dedicated COVID Hospitals or Dedicated COVID Health Centres.
"The strategy of home isolation for the mild and asymptomatic patients has ensured to keep the hospitals unburdened, where the focus has been on treatment of the severe cases and reduction of fatality. It is also notable that less than 1.94 per cent of the cases are in ICUs, 0.35 per cent cases are on ventilators and 2.81 per cent cases are on Oxygen beds," the ministry said.
The ministry said that India has followed a standard of care protocol for the differentiated categorisation of COVID-19 patients -- mild, moderate and severe -- as clearly formulated in the Clinical Management Protocol of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The effective clinical management strategies have shown to yield positive results, it said.
"Medical infrastructure to ensure quality treatment of the admitted patients is being continuously augmented across the country. As a result of concerted efforts, the COVID-19 Hospital Infrastructure to treat COVID-19 is stronger today. It has 1,383 Dedicated COVID Hospitals, 3,107 Dedicated COVID Healthcare Centres and 10,382 COVID Care Centres. Together they have a capacity of 46,673 ICU beds. 21,848 ventilators are deployed in the hospitals in all states/UTs," read the release.
Asserting that there is no shortage of N95 masks and PPE kits, the Health Ministry said that the Centre has supplied 235.58 lakh N95 masks and 124.26 lakh PPE kits to State/UTs/central institutions. (ANI)