Alert call from China via coronavirus: How prepared is Manipur ?
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 30 2020 -

No coronavirus yet but State vulnerable : This was the State Health Department and to think how Manipur would respond to the situation if this killer Virus lands here is terrifying.

Maybe this is too mild a word for coronavirus has so far killed 132 people in Wuhan province of China and there are reports of at least eight being infected from France and Germany.

Precautionary measures seem to have been taken up in the country with Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan announcing that thermal screening of passengers who could have been exposed to the deadly virus would be extended to 20 airports across the country.

Sad it is but Bir Tikendrajit International Airport at Imphal has missed the 20 airports announced by Harsh Vardhan.

Coming back to the vulnerable point, how safe is Manipur from the said Virus ?

Is the Health Department and other agencies concerned with health and life and death of patients prepared to meet any challenges ?

Fortunate it is that so far no confirmed case of coronavirus have been reported from any part of the country though some patients have been quarantined as suspects.

In Manipur too there was a report of a young woman having had to visit the hospital after a visit to Hong Kong.

No official confirmation on her health status but reports coming from the hospital said that she has been discharged and is now back home.

Our prayers with the young lady and the family.

The example of the young lady has been drawn here to caution everyone of how loose talks and speculations can trigger alarm amongst the people and this cannot be good for anyone.

This is the reality and while no confirmed case of coronavirus has been reported from any part of the country, this should not mean that India and Manipur can let their guards down.

There are a number of young boys and girls from Manipur studying in China, particularly medicine, and with reports coming in that the young students may come back any day now, there is all the more reason for the authorities concerned to up their ante.

Preventive measures and this is where the understanding of the young students and the parents/guardians concerned will become necessary.

No vaccine, no medicine, in short no standard treatment for those affected by coronavirus and this is where everyone will need to fall back on the best medicine that is available and that is prevention.

And that prevention should start from the entry points of Manipur.

Nagaland and Mizoram have already sounded the alert board and in Manipur too, but let it be clear that taking up preventive measures is much more than sounding the alert call.

The State Health Department may sound the preventive measures that may be taken up and the media will be more than ready to give it due importance.

Let Manipur and India be safe from the said Virus.