Ramp up fight against Covid: PTFC-19
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 27 2021: The People Task Force for COVID-19 (PTFC-19) has urged the State Government to ramp up the fight against the dreaded disease by increasing the Covid and ICU beds in hospitals and making the additional oxygen plants set up at different places operational at the earliest.

In a statement, the Task Force stated the Covid situation in the State is grim as the number of Covid positive cases and fatalities continue to rise despite the imposition of curfew in seven districts.

Recalling that the State reported a record high of 847 positive cases and 10 deaths on Wednesday, the PTFC continued that about 13,000 positive cases and over 300 deaths have been reported since the onset of the second wave.

The Task Force then appealed to the Government to check if there are lapses in their measures and reflect on it on a war footing, if necessary to save lives.

Saying that a seven-member committee headed by the Health Director was constituted to study the surge of Covid cases in the State, PTFC-19 urged the Government to disclose the finding of the committee so that additional precautions can be taken up concertedly.

The Task Force also urged the Government to make the additional oxygen plants set up functional at the earliest.

Maintaining that the State can produce only about 900 D type oxygen cylinders capacity in a day while the requirement is nearly 1500 D type oxygen cylinders, the Task Force exuded confidence that the shortage of oxygen could be fixed once the additional plants become operational.

The PTFC-19 reiterated that the number of moderate and severe Covid patients is also increasing and urged the Government to increase ICU seats as soon as feasible.

Pointing out that ICU beds and Covid beds at RIMS and JNIMS are only 31 together and 334 together respectively and many have died due to unavailability of ICU beds, the statement asserted that fighting this virulent disease with limited ICU and Covid beds is not viable.

Claiming that many of the ventilators sent at districts are not at service due to lack of manpower, the Task Force asked for clarification from the Health Directorate on the matter.

The PTFC-19 further urged the Government to make use of the ventilators which are lying idle.

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