MPCC shares strategies to curb Covid-19
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 18 2021: While maintaining that total curfew alone cannot control the Covid-19 pandemic, Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has suggested some strategies to the BJP-led government for successful containment of the contagious disease.

Addressing a press meet at Congress Bhawan here on Saturday, MPCC vice-president Dr Kh Ratankumar asked the government to activate the defunct PHCs, PHSCs and CHCs while addressing Covid related medical requirements.

He urged the government to form a standing committee of the assembly to ensure proper provision of NFSA and PMGKAY rice to the public and to find out public grievances.

The government has been imposing curfew for a long time but it has not been able to bring down the rate of infection.

Despite the strong restrictions imposed by the government, only the shops along highways and main roads remain closed while those in the localities are open as usual.

Just issuing restriction orders without enforcement mechanism resulted in widespread transmission of the virus in the community.

Considering this, the government will need to take up additional measures to fully enforce the total curfew, without which the initiative will not bear fruits, he said.

Dr Ratankumar also urged the government to provide insurance cover to all the frontline workers including ASHA workers and media persons.

Joining the media briefing, MPCC vice-president Kh Debbrata asked what measures the government will be taking up during the 10-day total curfew to make it effective in breaking the chain of transmission and to address other health related issues.

It has been long since the government imposed curfew and that did not help in preventing further spread.

On the contrary, the positivity rate remains high, between 15 to 19 per cent whereas Assam has brought down the positivity rate to 1.4 per cent, he pointed out and stated that quarantining the negative family members after isolating positive cases in a family should be accorded importance.

At the same time, testing capacity is low in the state and the government needs to increase the daily testing capacity to around 35,000 along with augmenting the facility for isolating positive patients.

Apart from making the CHCs, PHCs and PSHCs part of the Covid management facilities, the government would need to provide necessary support for setting up at least four CHICs in each district to isolate positive cases in order to bring down the transmission rate rapidly, he said.

So far, health experts are not able to pin point the cause for increasing transmission rate and the government is also not disclosing the opinions and suggestions of central expert team who recently came to Imphal.

A barrier is the need of the hour to prevent further impact in the society and the government can learn the same from other states, which have faced similar situations and succeeded in controlling the pandemic, he added.

Reacting against the CM's remark on doorstep delivery of rice, MPCC secretary Haresh-war Goswami said that the statement of the CM was unfortunate as he was seemingly holding the poor people, who come out in search of livelihood, responsible for the increasing cases of Covid-19.He also enquired if the CM was referring to NFSA rice, PMGKAY rice or others, and if the government would be providing rice only to the NFSA beneficiaries.

MPCC general secretary Punam Rani, who also attended the press meet, expressed concern over the facilities and honorarium provided to ASHA and Anganwadi workers, and urged the government to take up special measures.

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