CM Asks DC to create community surveillance system to stop spread of COVID from urban to rural areas
From Trishna Pegu Doley
GUWAHATI : In view of the increasing number of COVID positive cases, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma asked all the Deputy Commissioners to put in place a community surveillance system to avert the pandemic spreading from urban to rural areas. Talking to the Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police via video conference to take stock of the COVID situation in the state, Chief Minister Sarma said that in the wake of surging number of positive cases, there must be concerted efforts to stop the spread of the pandemic in rural areas.
Therefore, all the DCs must use their machinery to put in place community surveillance system to avert the surge of the pandemic in the rural areas. During the review, Chief Minister Sarma observed that though most of the districts are witnessing decline in COVID positive cases, where as others stabilised the curve of positive cases, Sarma asked the SPs to be strict in enforcing the curfew and total ban on inter- district movement to arrest positive cases. Sarma also asked the DCs to activate the odd hour treatment management for the critical COVID care patients and asked the DCs to undertake visit to the hospitals during the odd hours. He also asked the DCs to use spacious complexes as COVID vaccination centres and create arrangement for seating, drinking water etc. He also asked them to give priority to the aged people as well as mothers to receive their doses at the vaccination centres. He also asked them to create model vaccination centres.
Taking a serious look of the reported positive cases in tea garden areas, Sarma asked the DCs to take steps to tackle the spread of COVID in the tea garden and create communication channel with organisations in the tea garden areas to use their services. He also said that containment zones should be specifically earmarked and imposed. He also said that the ration should also be provided to the people confined to containment zones in the tea garden areas. He also asked them to ensure that doctors visit the tea garden hospitals on a regular basis. Chief Minister Sarma also asked the DCs to increase their ICUs beds, oxygen beds, oxygen concentrators and COVID Care Centres in their respective districts. He also asked them to increase RTPCR test to ascertain the COVID status of the people.
With regards to responding a request, Chief Minister Sarma asked Chief Secretary to take appropriate steps for incorporating employees from Railway, Bank, LPG distribution network, petrol pumps, pharmacies and other sectors that are exempted from the purview of curfew as front line workers to enable them to receive COVID vaccination on priority basis. Chief Minister also asked the DCs to create a system to drop COVID positive patients who have opted for home isolation from testing centres to their respective homes. Health and Family Welfare Minister Keshab Mahanta, Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Jogen Mohan, Chief Minister Political Secretary Jayanta Malla Baruah, Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah, DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha, Principal Secretary to Health Anurag Goyal and other senior officers of the government were present during the meeting.
