CM assures white paper on COVID management
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 20 2021: Chief Minister N Biren today informed the House that the State Government will furnish a white paper on Covid management in Manipur shortly.

The demand for furnishing a white paper on Covid management was moved by MLA K Meghachandra as a call attention motion in the 1st sitting of the 13th session of Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Raising the motion, Opposition member K Meghachandra urged the Government to explain if there are any lapses in managing the Covid pandemic as death toll has mounted to 1732 as on till August 19.The MLA further said that the Covid positivity as well as the mortality rate is also considerably high as compared to other States.

Saying that Central teams were sent to oversee Covid situation in Manipur twice, Meghachandra asked what reports/findings were submitted by the Central teams.

MLAs and frontline workers have been fighting the Covid pandemic dedicatedly by opening Community Home Isolation Centres in 60 ACs of the State, the Opposition member said and sought a white paper on Covid management expenditure from the Government.

CM assures white paper on COVID management

Continuing that many Covid deaths were not reported, the MLA asked what packages is the Government planning to give to the next of kins of those who died of COVID-19 under National Disaster Management Act.

Responding to the call attention motion, House leader Chief Minister N Biren Singh that it cannot be confidently predicted how the Covid will unfold in the future.

Covid cases in many developed countries including the USA are seeing a rise again, he added.

He also acknowledged the contribution of the House to arrest the spread of coronavirus which is largely driven by the highly contagious Delta variant in the second wave.

There is sufficient healthcare infrastructure such as oxygen, manpower, Covid beds, ventilators etc to tackle the pandemic, the CM informed the House.

Saying that there are 9 Covid hospitals in the State, the CM said that construction of a 200 bedded Covid hospital, which is a joint venture of the State Government and DRDO, is also nearing completion.

The Covid positivity rate in Manipur is also declining since the recent days and over 60 percent of the adult population have been vaccinated against the disease, the CM said.

Maintaining that a white paper on Covid will be furnished shortly, the CM urged the members of the House to ramp up the vaccination drive in their respective ACs.

On Covid deaths, the CM said that most of the cases had co-morbidities while many others were reported at the 11th hour.

Saying that the Government is considering giving relief package in the form of ex-gratia to those who died of Covid, the CM said that the State Government is also preparing to prevent the 3rd wave of Covid pandemic.

He also said that the financial package of Chief Minister's COVID-19 Affected Livelihood Support Scheme will be distributed shortly to the select beneficiaries.

The Central teams advised that Covid patients be lodged at Covid Centre Centre instead of CHIC, added the Chief Minister.