CIRCA suggests ways to face virus
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 17 2020: With spike in the coronavirus cases all over India coupled with increasing number stranded people coming back to the State, CIRCA (Coalition for Indigenes' Rights Campaign) has suggested the Government ways to fight the disease urging for enhance testing and establishment of COVID-19 dedicated hospital.

With sudden rise in the number of cases to 7 with 5 new cases recently, the State should prepare for the worst and have enough ventilators, PPEs and other necessary facilities, said CIRCA.

As many scientists and experts have suggested that increasing COVID-19 tests would enable timely detection and containment of the outbreak, the State should also focus on conducting more tests.

The daily capacity of COVID-19 test which is only about 270 should be increased, said CIRCA adding the Government should focus on procuring reliable rapid test kits for fast and accurate testing.

As Government lacks the required resources at present to conduct mass testing, the State is in a position where it can only rely on enforcing strict quarantine.

Nearly 50,000 stranded natives are coming back to the State soon and the State must be well prepared for strict screening and quarantine.

Meanwhile, Government should increase its testing capacity at the earliest and have enough PPEs, ventilators at RIMS (Regional Institute of Medica Sciences), JNIMS (Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences) and all district hospitals.

The number of beds available, about 50 each at RIMS and JNIMS should be increased and expanded.

All district hospitals should also have adequate PPEs, ventilators and isolation wards etc.

Dedicated COVID-19 hospital is much needed and the Government should establish one at the earliest, said CIRCA hinting that the coronavirus is not going away soon without a vaccine and the State cases tally may rise further with increasing returnees.

CIRCA also sought the Government to encourage "communitization" through which the community quarantine centres may be run with the active participation of the locals.

Such a model would make use of all the available resources and establish an open and transparent form of administration which can be accessed by all.

Quarantine Management Committee may be formed.

This will help combine the efforts of the local volunteers, CSOs, social workers, MLAs and Government together for successfully running the quarantine centres, said CIRCA.

On the other hand, it decried the launch of paid quarantine centres by the Government and charged that the policy benefits only the rich and divides the society.

Best care should be provided to all equally, hinted CIRCA further.

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