1000-bedded makeshift COVID Care Centre to be made in Silchar: Pijush Hazarika

July 20: In view of the recent spike in number of COVID-19 positive cases in Cachar district, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Pijush Hazarika directed the district administration to build a makeshift 1000-bedded COVID Care Centre in Silchar town.

Reviewing the COVID-19 situation with the district administration at DC’s conference hall here on Monday, Minister Hazarika asked the administration to set up a makeshift 1000-bedded COVID Care Centre in the town in consultation with the people’s representatives within 10 days. “The makeshift centre has to be of robust structure with water proof and other amenities, ” he added.

The Minister directed the administration to ruthlessly implement the wearing of masks and social distancing and to raise the levy of fines to Rs.1,000. “It is only through wearing of masks and social distancing that we can arrest the further spread of COVID-19 pandemic. And towards this end, the civil and police administrations have to ruthlessly enforce it,” added the minister. Hazarika also instructed the administration to increase the bed capacity for treatment of symptomatic patients.

Further, Pijush Hazarika asked the administration to increase the bed capacity of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) to another 200 and to make provisions for more beds at Model Hospital at Palanghat. He told the Deputy Commissioner to hold discussions with peoples representatives and senior citizens on enforcing total lockdown in market places.

Hazarika requested the MLAs to help the administration in identifying designated cremation ground in their respective constituencies for conducting last rites of COVID-19 victims. The Minister also urged the MLAs to spread the message loud and clear that there was no fear of anyone getting infected from a COVID-19 victim, citing instances of his own attending last rites of such persons without getting infected. He also instructed the administration to intensify the plasma donation campaign in order to save lives of coronavirus affected persons.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli briefed the Minister about the COVID-19 situation and the ramping up of health infrastructure through a power point presentation. Cachar has a bed strength of 3327 in 98 facility quarantine centres with seven dedicated COVID Health Centres with a bed strength of 650. Jalli also informed the Minister that under the Assam Targeted Surveillance Programme (ATSP), 10 positive cases and 3,099 negative cases have been detected covering 60 areas. The Deputy Commissioner also disclosed that 32 civilians have been found positive without travel history.

The meeting was attended, among others, by MP, Dr. Rajdeep Roy, MLAs, SP, senior officials of the district administration and health functionaries. The Minister also visited the SMCH and SM Dev Civil Hospital to take stock of the situation there. He interacted with the officials and health functionaries and directed them to provide the best of medical care and treatment to the COVID-19 patients. The Minister also visited COVID ward of the civil hospital and interacted with the COVID patients.