Meghalaya will receive 11 ambulances to aid in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic from the Development of North East Region Ministry.
Informing reporters after an all-party meeting convened by Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that, in contrast to the ongoing second wave of the disease, there were not many serious cases in the first wave where oxygen support was required.
This is why the government did not invest in ambulances with top life support systems during the first wave, he added. Now, however, the situation is completely different.
“Whatever ambulances we are bringing in now, we are trying to ensure that they have all the life support systems,” Sangma said.
With regards to the Covid situation in the state, Sangma admitted that there are many areas in which the government could have done better, but it has to be remembered that the state has been working with limited resources.
When the second wave hit the state there were only 700 oxygen cylinders in Meghalaya but that number now stands at 3,000 with more on the way.
“We didn’t even have one proper oxygen plant in any of the government units. Today, we’re going to have them at 11 to 12 different hospitals and centres. We didn’t even have one cryogenic plant then but we’re going to have two of them soon,” the Chief Minister said.
