“Step up COVID test, vaccination drive, awareness to contain pandemic”, Minister Suklabaidya to DCs of Barak

May 15: Minister for Environment and Forest, Fisheries and Excuse, Parimal Suklabaidya took stock of the COVID-19 scenario in the three Barak Valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi on Saturday. Minister Suklabaidya, who is Minister incharge for COVID, for all the three districts of the valley, assessed the overall situation in Cachar district at a meeting with Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli, MLAs, health functionaries, DDMA, police and other officials at DC’s conference hall in Silchar.

Suklabaidya monitored the various parameters of the COVID scenario in view of rising number of positive cases and took stock of availability of beds in hospitals and COVID Care Centres, oxygen cylinders, vaccines, medicines and COVID-19 testing facilities. The Minister underscored the need for motivating more and more people to go for COVID test and to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols, including wearing of mask, social distancing and washing of hands with soap to keep the dreaded virus at bay.

Deputy Commissioner, Jalli gave an overview of the the COVID-19 situation in the district, including ramping up of ICU facility at SMC&H and other slew of measures to contain the spread of the pandemic. It may be mentioned here that under PM Care Fund, 80 numbers of ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators have been installed in various hospitals in the district. The meeting was attended, among others, by MLAs Dipayan Chakravorty, Mihir Kanti Shome, Misbahul Islam Laskar, Karim Uddin Barbhuiya, Khalil Uddin Mazumder, ADCs, Joint Director, Health Services and other officials.

Following the meeting, Minister Suklabaidya visited Karimganj district where he reviewed the COVID situation and preparedness with Deputy Commissioner, Anbamuthan MP, Karimganj, Kripanath Mallah, MLAs, SP, senior officials of the administration, Health, DDMA and other departments at DC’s conference hall in the afternoon.
Deputy Commissioner, Anbamuthan gave a presentation on the COVID scene in the district, the slew of measures initiated by the administration to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, ramping up of testing facilities, ongoing vaccination drive and strict enforcement of SoPs issued by the State and Central Governments.

The Deputy Commissioner apprised the Minister that a COVID Care Centre comprising 20 railway coaches with a capacity of 320 beds and 40 oxygen support beds is being readied at Badarpur Railway Station. Suklabaidya appreciated the laudable initiative by the district administration and the railway authorities. Anbamuthan apprised the Minister about the shortage of doctors with only 67 doctors presently working in the district.

The Minister asked the administration to leave no stone unturned to arrest the spread of the disease and to ensure people’s active participation to defeat the COVID-19 scourge. He instructed the officials of the administration and Health department to visit the PHCs after every two to three days to ascertain whether the vaccination drive is being carried out in the rural areas in a proper and systematic manner. Suklabaidya said as the people of the three districts move from one district to the other, the district administrations have to work in tandem to keep the COVID situation under control.

The Minister directed the administration to ensure transportation of asymptomatic persons who tested positive to their home through 108 ambulance service forthwith to minimise the chances of other persons getting infected.
He took stock of the position of concentrated oxygen cylinders, availability of ICU beds, vaccines, testing facility and other issues related to COVID management. The Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner to set up an oxygen plant, the process of which is underway, at the earliest and assured of all possible support from the state government. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to expedite the process for installation of 20 ventilators and equal number of oxygen concentrators received from the PM Care Fund

He called upon the MLAs to create awareness on preventive measures, including wearing of mask and social distancing in their respective constituencies to keep coronavirus away. In this context, MP, Mallah underlined the need to step up vaccination in the tea garden areas. Suklabaidya urged the doctors to ensure best of medical care and treatment to the afflicted persons.

Following the meeting, Minister Suklabaidya proceeded to Hailakandi where he reviewed the situation with Deputy Commissioner, Megh Nidhi Dahal, MLAs and senior officials of Health and other line departments at DC’s conference hall in the evening.

After an overview of the prevailing scenario by DC, Dahal together with the measures taken to deal with the situation, Minister Suklabaidya emphasised on the need to ramp up testing facility which will help in early detection and isolation to avoid the spread of the virus. He called for generating awareness about the importance of adhering to the COVID-19 protocols for containing further spread of the pandemic. Dahal apprised the Minister that the district has altogether 15 oxygen concentrators and 10 ventilators.