Although the Covid-19 curve appears to be on a downwards trajectory, the pandemic’s second wave is moving out of Shillong and into rural areas, cautioned leader of the opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma today.
Dr Sangma, a medical professional in his own right, toured hospitals and other corona facilities in the city.
Speaking to the press, Dr Sangma said that he has received reports of many people in rural areas coming down with Covid-19, even as there remains reluctance to get tested.
“We cannot have any sense of complacency and we need to have some kind of auditing of every village,” he said, while calling for greater engagement and sensitisation of the rural populace.
The leader of the opposition also said that there is a need to activate the disease surveillance system to know what is happening exactly in every village.
Meanwhile, Dr Sangma said that the number of Covid-related fatalities is “alarmingly high”.
Looking at the details of the deceased, it is apparent that many were brought to hospital at a very late stage after “the disease has taken a substantial toll on the patient” and this could be because there are not enough institutionalised quarantine centres, corona care centres or the home isolation strategy is proving deficient, he added.
Dr Sangma also called on the state government not to take the possibility of a third wave lightly and should prepare well in advance.
He cautioned that younger people might be more susceptible to this potential third wave and, therefore, there should be no delay in getting them vaccinated.
