Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh has expressed concern that the system of monitoring and providing help to Covid-19 patients undergoing home quarantine is experiencing deficiencies.
“I am getting calls from people saying that no health worker has come to see them or attend the Covid patients under home quarantine even after several hours of informing about their conditions,” the East Shillong legislator told Highland Post.
Those in home isolation are meant to be provided with a quarantine kit by the Health Department.
“Three-four days back a person told me that after informing the health in-charge of the particular area that her husband is having severe cough, after several hours the family was later presented with only one paracetamol,” she said adding that provision of quarantine kits is fine in theory but is not happening on the ground.
This delay in checking potential Covid patients is causing a great deal of damage, Lyngdoh opined. She also questioned the process of how it is decided on which patients can be treated at home and which ones required hospitalisation. Other issues she raised include the alleged non-responsiveness of home delivery services, stocks of essential commodities and medicines.
“We want to know what are the stocks (of medicines) available in the government and private health institutions. We cannot only concentrate on oxygen and later face a scarcity of various drugs. The government has to respond and take an audit and tell the public what is available,” the MLA stated.
