Govt considering compensation for Covid victims: CM
Source: Chronicle News Service / DIPR

Imphal, August 20 2021: Chief minister N Biren announced that the government is considering to provide ex-gratia to families of victims who passed away due to Covid-19 .

Replying a Calling Attention Motion raised by Congress MLA K Meghachandra on the higher positivity rate of Covid-19 in the state in comparison to national positivity rate on the first day of the Manipur Legislative Assembly's monsoon session on Friday, N Biren, who is also in-charge of health, said that the government has been making all-out efforts in the battle against Covid-19.He informed that the government is planning to release some funds as ex-gratia for families of Covid-19 victims.

The process has been completed for providing Rs 3500 every month to children who have lost one of their parents or both to the pandemic.

Earlier, the government had provided Rs 10,000 each to 10,000 women vendors.

Further, the government has also started process to provide monetary aid to school van and auto rickshaw drivers along with artistes.

Presently, a list with 25,000 beneficiaries has been collected and they will be provided with Rs 2500 in two phases, the CM said.

Praising the frontline workers, he stated that it is due to their sacrifice and hard work that the state has been able to face the pandemic, but situation is unpredictable and it is difficult to assess the outcome.

The global positivity rate is reported at 21.9 per cent with 44,18,000 reported death.

In India, the total positive cases surged to 3,23,58,218 .

The death case reported till now for the country is 4,33,622 .

For Manipur, the death cases have reached 1632 as on August 17 while the total number of patients is 1,09,843, he informed.

The chief minister continued that the government is making continuous effort to fight the pandemic and providing medical equipment like oxygen cylinder, manpower among others as the second wave of Covid-19 is impacting the general public.

The state government increased ICU beds, manpower at hospitals, medical equipment, etc.

Compared to other states, the positivity rate and death rate of Manipur was worrisome but the state is now witnessing a downward trend, he said.

The CM also informed that the number of Covid Hospital has increased to nine, out of which five are run by private sector and one by NGO.

With the cooperation of DRDO, 200- bedded hospital at Kyamgei is nearing completion.

There are 60 beds allocated for Covid at JNIMS and 30 beds for children, he said.

Biren further revealed that during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic, Delhi reported positivity rate at 35 per cent, Maharashtra 29 per cent, Kerala 28.9 per cent, Mizoram 35.3 per cent, Meghalaya 30.8 per cent and Manipur 23.9 per cent.

The positivity rate of Manipur is now reduced to 9.3 per cent up to August 17 .

Earlier, Covid positive patients from hill districts were referred to RIMS and JNIMS, but now with installation of oxygen plants, ICU and staffing of requisite manpower at district hospitals of hills, they can get their treatment in their own districts, he stated.

Hailing the MLAs for working with the government in containing the pandemic, N Biren stressed the need for continuous public cooperation to ensure all the people get vaccinated to make Manipur Covid-free state.

On the issue of vaccination, the CM informed that among the eligible individuals, around 60 per cent have been inoculated with only 7 lakh people still to receive their Covid vaccine.

The alleged death cases of persons after they were administered Covid-19 vaccine will be thoroughly investigated and will be laid down in detail on the next sitting of the ongoing session.

Further, he said that among the death cases due to Covid-19 some had comorbid conditions.

He also appealed to those persons who are facing Covid symptoms to visit the nearest PHC doctor or inform the nearest hospital immediately for timely treatment.

To fight the pandemic, the government strengthened the health care sector by engaging 317 doctors, 595 nurses, 530 MTS, drivers.

There are six oxygen plants in six districts, three have been inaugurated and three will be made functional soon, the CM stated.

N Biren also said that the expert team sent by the centre had observed that the state was seeing increasing cases due to improper home isolation and non-observance of Covid-19 SOPs in crowded places.

As such, the government has been keeping patients at Covid Care Centres who do not have proper home Isolation facility.

Earlier, moving the Calling Attention Motion, MLA Meghachandra stated that situation in the state with 1732 Covid deaths is very alarming and has been caused by government mismanagement.

There have been reports of lack of ICU beds in state's hospitals, lack of manpower to run ICU and ventilators in faraway districts.

He demanded that government must release a white paper on why the state has high Covid-19 positive rate compared to other states.

MLAs have also been working to stop the spread of the Covid-19, but with only Rs 30 lakh released from MLA Local Area Development Fund for the pandemic, they have been facing huge problems.

The government must also publish a white paper on the funds released by the state government in regard to Covid-19, the MLA emphasised.

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