Director of Health Services, Dr Aman Warr, has urged the public to follow protocols in order to ease the burden on healthcare staff who are overworked due to the surge of cases all over Meghalaya.
With the resolute effort of the public and government, he felt sure that the peak of the second wave could be reached by the end of the week.
“Our health workers are working 24×7 so please don’t unnecessarily tire them,” he said, adding that the safest place to be right now is in one’s own home.
“Don’t venture out if you do not need to. Go for self-lockdown and do not wait for the government to order a lockdown. Self-lockdown, self-discipline, that is what is needed. We will be able to combat this pandemic,” he added.
Unlike in the first wave of the disease last year, this year people across all age groups are succumbing to Covid-19 and many do not have co-morbidities. A very small number of people who have been vaccinated are falling sick, though, he was at pains to point out.
He also repeated that the effect of the lockdown on case numbers will not be seen immediately but he added, “We are confident that by next week cases will come down.”
Steps that the government has taken in the fight of late have included the decisions to allow the Health Department to take on more staff wherever needed and increase bed capacity in hospitals and corona care centres.
In Shillong Civil Hospital bed space has been increased by the management shifting patients with other ailments to other sections of the hospital to accommodate the increase in those ill with Covid.
Similarly, the government wants to increase the number of beds at the TB Hospital in Umsawli, which will be used as a coronavirus hospital for now. The plan is to enable it to fit 100 beds. Ganesh Das Hospital will be exclusively for mothers and children and 100 beds are being prepared in the new building.
“The government is also working to increase the supply of oxygen cylinders to those in need. We are grateful to the Centre for giving Shillong Civil Hospital an oxygen generator and soon it will be able to feed the Covid ward. At the same time the government of India has sanctioned the same at Ganesh Das Hospital, RP Chest Hospital, Nongpoh Civil Hospital and other district hospitals,” Dr Warr added.
Earlier, Health Minister AL Hek visited the Shillong Civil Hospital to encourage the doctors and nurses there.
