Govt to enact new SOP with extensive campaign
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 22 2020: A high-level meeting held today with Chief Minister N Biren in the chair on the prevailing COVID-19 situation agreed to enact a new SOP and launch extensive awareness campaigns about the new SOP.

The meeting held at the Durbar Hall of the Chief Minister's Secretariat was attended by Cabinet Ministers, CSOs, officials of IMA, Health Department, Red Cross, COVID-19 Consultative Committee, COVID-19 Task Force and MLAs.

The Chief Minister sought suggestions and opinions from all the attendants on how to tackle the ever worsening COVID-19 situation in the State, sources conveyed.

Govt to enact new SOP with extensive campaign

Majority of the participants suggested the Chief Minister to enhance testing capacity, raise number of COVID beds in hospitals and enforce more stringent measures within containment zones instead of imposing lockdown throughout the State.

They expressed keen desire to increase the number of ICU beds reserved for COVID-19 patients at RIMS, JNIMS and Shija Hospital.

Currently, there are 32 ICU beds together at RIMS and JNIMS, and another six at Shija Hospital.

They further suggested that the Government may provide anti-viral drugs and PPE to private hospitals at subsidised rates.

As suggested by the participants, the meeting agreed on carrying out a statistical analysis of COVID-19 in the State but most of the attendants were not in favour of imposing fresh lockdown in the name of curtailing COVID-19 transmission, said the sources.

Another suggestion put forward by some participants was opening a dedicated hospital for COVID-19.N Biren highlighted the difficulties faced by the Government after a number of doctors, nurses and police personnel who have been working on the frontline tested positive for the contagion.

Even though the Government invited applications for recruitment of 100 doctors for the COVID Care Centres, not enough applications were received.

Nonetheless, the Government would ensure that the required number of doctors and nurses are recruited, Biren said at the meeting, according to the sources.

The Chief Minister stated that the RIMS Dental College and JNIMS Infectious Hospital would be transformed into dedicated COVID wards.

He further assured that the number of hospital beds set aside for COVID-19 would be increased.

He then appealed to all the CSOs and local clubs to ensure that the people abide by the COVID-19 SOP strictly.

The Chief Minister asked officials of RIMS, JNIMS and Health Department to ensure that patients brought to hospitals for diagnosis and treatment are promptly attended to even if the patients are COVID-19 positive.

He added that the Government would work to provide whatever required by doctors.

Many doctors have also tested positive.