Health system preparedness for a potential third wave of COVID-19: An Indian perspective

The second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the health system across India leading to not only the loss of innumerable human lives but also exposed the various shortcomings of healthcare infrastructure. This emphasizes the need for a better preparedness of the health system across the nation to tackle the potential third wave of COVID-19 pandemic more importantly now as the cases and test positivity rate has started to show a downward trend all over India. The key areas which need to be targeted are augmenting the vaccine production and streamlining delivery mechanism, strengthening the existing pediatric emergency units and sick newborn units, expanding the oxygen production capacity in the country, ensuring the availability of drugs, strengthening of health infrastructure, logistic support and surveillance systems, expanding the free testing and diagnostic facilities, improved access to healthcare facilities, and reinforcement of COVID appropriate behavior in the community.