Two persons under institutional quarantine test positive in Hailakandi

May 29: Two persons have tested positive in Hailakandi district on Friday.nHealth authorities informed that one Aksar Ahmed Choudhury, 30 years, with travel history to Delhi and Rinku Suklabaidya, 29 years, with travel history to Chennai tested COVID-19 positive. Choudhury and Suklabaidya, who arrived here on Tuesday, were put under institutional quarantine at DIET and PK Girls’ HS School respectively. They have been shifted to the isolation ward of SK Roy Civil Hospital.

Earlier, a COVID-19 infected youth named Jakaria Ahmed Mazumder, 19 years, was shifted from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya quarantine centre situated at Monacherra to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital on May 22. He had arrived here by train from Hyderabad on May 20. With these two positive cases on Friday, the total number of COVID-19 cases from Hailakandi district have increased to 19, including one death. Barring the two positive cases, the rest of the afflicted persons are undergoing treatment in Silchar and Guwahati.

Of the 1,318 swab samples taken, 1,171 have tested negative while the results of 130 are awaited from SMC&H. Altogether 628 persons are under institutional quarantine centres. Two persons are admitted in the isolation ward of the district hospital. Meanwhile, with more and more stranded people arriving in the district by train, flight and bus, the district administration has set up two more quarantine centres at Model School at Aloicherra and Polytechnic at Katlicherra, besides six other quarantine centres.

The administration has converted the SK Roy Civil Hospital into a COVID-19 hospital with provisions for 50 to 70 beds. However, OPD and other wards will continue to function normally. Deputy Commissioner, Megh Nidhi Dahal has revealed that mock drills are being conducted as to how to treat COVID-19 cases at the district hospital. He also disclosed that a team of doctors and nurses had been trained up at Silchar Medical College and Hospital as to how to deal with infected persons.

Meanwhile, Silchar MP, Dr.Rajdeep Roy inspected the arrangements at the SK Roy Civil Hospital which has been converted into COVID-19 hospital. Dr.Roy visited the hospital to take stock of the situation at the instruction of Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma.