Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem has voiced serious concern that the planned Covid-19 hospital in Ri-Bhoi has yet to be made functional.
The state government decided that the nearly complete district Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Umran Niangbyrnai will be used as a dedicated Covid-19 hospital for Ri-Bhoi, which has recorded 3,515 coronavirus infections since April 1.
Syiem expressed concern that the delay in operationalising the hospital could hurt the district when the expected third wave of the pandemic strikes.
The MLA has submitted a memorandum to this effect to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, after his government’s deadline to make the hospital active from June 15 was missed.
“If the government is not aware of the prevailing situation brought about by the second wave, how can we be expected to fight the third wave?” the opposition MLA told reporters.
Currently those infected with Covid-19 are referred to Nongpoh Civil Hospital for treatment, an unsatisfactory situation, Syiem opined, as the hospital is also used by patients with other ailments. Health Department offices also operate from the same compound. For the safety of the public, there needs to be a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, he added, and this should be made functional at the earliest.
Syiem also spoke about the hardships faced by accredited social health activists (ASHAs), the grassroots health workers, who went on strike yesterday due to non-payment of their financial incentives for several months, which the ASHAs anyway want raised. In his opinion, as frontline workers in the fight against coronavirus, the ASHAs should at least receive Rs 5,000 per month more for their work.
He also urged the government to ensure that no poor families in the state are denied rations under the National Food Security Act, given the difficulty in making ends meet for many families during the pandemic.
