From Trishna Pegu Doley
GUWAHATI : Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited Tezpur Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) and took stock of the Covid scenario in Sonitpur district with DC, SP, senior doctors and other officials. Expressing concern over 10 percent increase in Covid positivity rate in the district, the Chief Minister asked the district administration to intensify containment measures through micro contentment zones.
The Chief Minister took stock of availability of ICU beds, oxygen, medicine etc. and directed TMCH authorities to increase number of ICU beds from its present strength of 40 to 70. He also instructed principal TMCH to ensure service of senior doctors in the rank of Associate Professor, Assistant Professor or Registrar at nighttime to reduce the mortality of critical Covid patients during late night hours. Chief Minister Sarma said that he would personally make video calls at 2 am every night to doctors on duty as no complacency could be allowed during these difficult times.
The Chief Minister also instructed Health Department to expedite conversion of Sirajuli and Ghoramari MPHCs into Covid care centres and asked Urban Development Minister Ashok Singhal over phone and MP Pallab Lochan Das who was present in the meeting to pursue the matter with NHM Assam for completion of the project. He directed PWD (Building) to complete the work of laying more oxygen pipes in the Govt. Hospitals at the earliest. He directed the district administration and police to enforce strict restrictions to contain the pandemic and directed not to allow those Covid Positive patients above the age of 50 years home quarantine if they do not have separate toilets in their households. Later talking to media persons, the Chief Minister said that the district administration has been directed to help the poor people staying in containment zones.
He also informed that the district administration would bear the cost of transporting Covid-19 patients from death beds to the cremation ground and conduct cremation free of cost. He further said there is no scarcity of doctors in the state and dedicated service would be provided to Covid patients round the clock. MPs Pallab Lochan Das and Topon Kumar Gogoi, MLAs Prithbiraj Rabha, Ganesh Limbu and Krishna Kamal Tanti, DC and SP Sonitpur, Joint Director of Health Services, Principal and senior officials of TMCH were present in the meeting.