Test the incoming doctors too: Student bodies
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 08 2020: Six student bodies namely AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS have asserted that doctors coming from outside the State for treating COVID-19 patients should be compulsorily tested for the contagion.

Speaking to media persons on behalf of the six student bodies at the Kwakeithel Thounaojam Leikai office of MSF this afternoon, MSF president Sajad Buiyamayum said that they have learnt about the possible arrival of seven doctors from outside the State at Imphal today and they have been already tested negative for COVID-19 in their respective States.

Saying that the six student bodies welcome the doctors, Sajad however maintained that all of them should be tested again for COVID-19 as there is the possibility of contracting the contagion during their journey to Imphal.

Sajad said that they were compelled to come out with this statement as it was said that the doctors would not be tested for COVID-19 in the State.

If the doctors are put on duty without testing and in case COVID-19 spreads from them, the State Government should be held solely accountable, he asserted.

He said that the State Government's knee-jerk reactions and flip-flop decisions have been creating more inconveniences and confusion among the masses.

The State Government issued an order on May 25 which said that people coming back to the State by air would be permitted to go for home quarantine.

However, subsequent upon strong reaction from the six student bodies, people who came back by air were put in institutional or community quarantine centres, said the MSF president and added that some people who came back by air have tested positive for COVID-19 .

Had the student bodies not protested the Government's order, there could have been community transmission of COVID-19 in Manipur, Sajad said.

It was a matter of a grave concern that an MLA violating the COVID-19 SOP went for home quarantine after coming back from outside the State recently, he said.

There have been cases of the six student bodies stopping some MLAs, Ministers and officers from taking out their near ones from some quarantine centres, Sajad said and appealed to all concerned to refrain from such irresponsible acts in future.

The MSF president also underscored the urgent need for raising the State's COVID-19 testing capacity.

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