Rapid Response Team lined up for poll duty
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 25 2022: Health Director Dr K Rajo has stated that the State Government will utilise Assembly Rapid Response Team (ARRT) in all 60 Assembly Constituencies with Additional Director of the Health Directorate as the nodal officer and two Helicopter Rapid Response Teams (HRRTs) in the two phased Assembly election of Manipur.

Speaking to The Sangai Express today, Dr K Rajo elaborated that each ARRT will have two doctors, two health care workers and two MPS officers while the HRRT will incorporate four Medical Officers, six paramedical staff and six MPS officers.

Saying that the foremost priority of the Assembly Rapid Response Team is to make sure all the electors adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour and to attend to victims of poll violence on the day of election, if any, Dr Rajo continued that assistance will also be taken from HRRT if needed and take the emergency cases to either RIMS or JNIMS Hospital.

Rapid Response Team lined up for poll duty

The two HRRTs, however, will largely be deployed in Imphal East and Imphal West, he said and added that the State has prepared three helicopters for the Assembly election.

Informing that certain beds have also been kept reserved at JNIMS and RIMS to provide health care services to the victims of poll violence, if any, on the day of pollings (February 28 and March 5), Dr Rajo said that necessary measures have also been taken up at district hospitals to provide maximum healthcare services.

Urging all to strictly adhere to Covid appropriate behaviour at all times and maintain social distancing while voting to prevent the spread of the virus, Dr Rajo also appealed to the people of Manipur to get themselves vaccinated against Covid and avoid gathering.

The State has witnessed three waves of the pandemic, he continued and informed that 355 people died in the first wave alone.

The State also provided Rs 1,000 each to Manipuris stranded in other parts of the country during the first wave.

The State Government installed 25 PSA plants in different locations and assembled 460 ventilators.

The State will have two more PSA plants soon, he informed and added that the number of D-type and B-type oxygen cylinders in Manipur have also been increased from 25 to 6328 and from 117 to 952 respectively.

He continued that the State Government also bought 3559 oxygen concentrators and another 480 ventilators amid the Covid pandemic and is working to enhance the presence of ICU facilities in all the districts.

Further stating that the State is preparing to keep RT PCR testing facility in nine districts of Manipur, Dr K Rajo maintained that the 3rd wave of Covid is waning in Manipur.

He said that most fatalities seen in the 3rd wave were not vaccinated against Covid and had co-morbidities.

Admitting that the rate of Covid vaccination is low though the situation has improved to some extent, Dr Rajo maintained that the State is nonetheless prepared to face upsurge of Covid cases and has sufficient face masks, hand sanitisers, testing kits, and manpower.