Chief Minister reviews COVID situation in Hailakandi

April 8: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Hailakandi district on Wednesday. Reviewing the preparedness of the district administration with senior officials, heads of departments and MPs and MLAs at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall here, Chief Minister Sonowal asked everyone to work unitedly and resolutely in the fight against COVID-19. “It’s a long drawn out battle against COVID-19 and everyone must rise in unison to overcome the huge challenge posed by the virus worldover,” said Sonowal adding, “The contagious virus knows no religion, no region, no caste, creed or religion, poor or rich, and transcends all the geographical barriers. To overcome this huge challenge, we have to fight unitedly.”

Sonowal said that he is engaged in holding talks with religious leaders so that people of all faiths stick to the lockdown guidelines and not assemble in places of worship. The Chief Minister said social distancing and avoiding gatherings are the only way out to arrest the spread of the virus. “As there is no vaccine, the only way out to prevent spread of the novel Coronavirus COVID-19 is maintaining social distancing and avoiding gatherings,” he equipped.

Sonowal asked the administration to ensure uninterrupted flow of essential commodities and power supply during the lockdown period. He instructed the administration to take stern action against those posting objectionable posts in the social media that can flare up communal tension and create stumbling blocs in the fight against COVID-19. “The Government will not tolerate any objectionable posts in the social media and stern action will be taken against the offenders,” he warned.

He instructed the administration to reach out to the poorest of the poor and provide the much-needed respite during the unprecedented situation. Sonowal pointed out that the Rs.1,000 in cash to the people without ration cards should go to the genuine people only. The Chief Minister directed the administration to ensure functioning of the DDMA control room 24×7 so that the problems of the people in distress are redressed immediately. He suggested shifting duty of not more than eight hours in the control room so that no one becomes lethargic and quality service can be provided to the people in need of medical help and other assistance. “We need to have dedicated people to man the control room and to provide quality service. This has to be sustained for a longer period as we do not know in what form or the other the lockdown will remain in force after April 14,” he said.

Sonowal told the health authorities to provide proper training to the nurses and front line workers to tackle COVID-19 pandemic and to provide them the best of facilities during their quarantine period. While appreciating the administration’s slew of initiatives to deal with the pandemic, Sonowal called for stepping up of sanitisation drive in the market places and streets to keep Coronavirus at bay.

The Chief Minister instructed the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department to provide fodder to the stray animals during the lockdown period. He asked the administration not to spare anyone indulging in black marketing and creating artificial scarcity to reap benefits at the cost of the general public.

Giving a power point presentation on the different initiatives taken by the administration in the wake of COVID-19 situation, DC, Jalli said four quarantine facilities with 200 beds and one isolation ward with 50 beds have been set up. Jalli apprised the Chief Minister about steps taken to provide rations to the beneficiaries, Mid-Day Meal to the parents of school children and Tame Home Ration to the children, pregnant women and lactating mothers through Anganwadi workers. She also told the Chief Minister about the steps initiated to provide door-to-door supply of vegetables.

Highlighting about the best practices adopted by the administration to deal with the Coronavirus situation, Jalli said mapping of affected areas and data management of people coming into Hailakandi from affected areas and abroad have been recorded block-wise. The Deputy Commissioner apprised the Chief Minister about the steps taken for screening of people who have from outside and constant surveillance and monitoring of the over 1500 people under home quarantine. Of the 55 swab samples taken, one has tested positive while 44 have turned out to be negative, she said.

Jalli said the administration has enough foodgrains to last for two months. The Deputy Commissioner further informed the Chief Minister that retail and wholesale prices are circulated and put up prominently in the groceries. Superintendent of Police, Pabindra Kumar Nath apprised the Chief Minister about the security measures taken, setting up of quarantine facility for police personnel and awareness campaigns to prevent the spread of the disease.

The review meeting was attended, among others, by Minister for Environment and Forest, Parimal Suklabaidya, MP, Karimganj, Kripanath Mallah, MP, Silchar, Dr.Rajdeep Roy, MLA, Hailakandi, Anwar Hussain Laskar, MLA, Algapur, Nizamuddin Choudhury, former minister Gautam Roy, Additional Deputy Commissioners, EL Faihraem and RK Dam and District BJP president, Swapon Bhattacharjee. Earlier, the Chief Minister inspected the isolation ward of SK Roy Civil Hospital and interacted with the doctors and nurses.