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Himanta visits SMCH; 300-bed hospital with ICU to come up in Silchar soon
March 29: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma seems to leave no stone unturned in the fight against coronavirus. The health minister is going around all the medical colleges of the state to assess the available facility and to ensure full preparation in case of any outbreak of coronavirus in the state. He was at Silchar on Sunday and went to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) to review the situation. It needs mention here that he visited Silchar just 3 days ago on 26 March.
The minister said that very soon a 300-beddded hospital with ICU will be made in Silchar. For this purpose, initially two places are under consideration. These two places are Udharbond and Ghungoor. Though the state government is yet to take the final call on the selection of the place where this new hospital will be build in a war footing.
On Sunday, the health minister along with state Excise Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, Silchar MP Dr. Rajdeep Roy, Principal Health Secretary of State Samir Sinha, MLA Silchar Dilip Kumar Paul, MLA Rajdeep Goala , Deputy Commissioner, Barnali Sharma and others visited SMCH and interacted with doctors over there. He reviewed preparations for the treatment of COVID-19 patients there. He expressed the view that if coronavirus outbreak occurs in Barak Valley, then it will be a catastrophe as the health infrastructure here is not so robust. In this context, the minister urged all people of this valley to obey the lockdown and stay inside the house during this period.
Visited Silchar Medical College along with Min Sri @ParimalSuklaba, MP Sri @drrajdeeproy, MLAs & Principal Secy Health Sri @samirsinha69 to interact with doctors & professors & review preparations for treatment of #COVID patients. #AssamCares#CoronaUpdate pic.twitter.com/QlnWhPY78a
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 29, 2020
Dr. Biswa Sarma expressed the view that though cases of COVID-19 have been low in the country’s northeast and nil in Assam, but challenges on how to combat the disease are tougher. The low number of cases currently in the region was no reason to be complacent, and that the State government was taking various measures to build hospital-bed capacity and for Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and ventilators, said the minister. He also interacted with the media and said that there is no dearth of essential commodities like rice, pulses potato etc. but he added that at this moment it is better to avoid fish and meat.
Earlier during the day, Himanta Biswa Sarma signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 22 private nursing homes of Silchar in Cachar district for cashless treatment of regular patients at Ayushman Bharat rates, to be reimbursed by Government. On the other hand, Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH) shall be reserved only for COVID-19 patients, other than maternity & emergency cases. State Finance Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma is on a whirlwind tour of Silchar on Sunday. He met with the owners of the private hospitals at Silchar in the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner, Cachar.
