The premier government hospital in Shillong, NEIGRIHMS, is short both of money and manpower in the fight against Covid-19, the institute’s director said today.
“Our institute did not receive any funds for Covid last time and our budget is all over. We do not have any funds to commit at this point of time,” NEIGRIHMS Director Prof P Bhattacharya said.
The teaching hospital has requested money from the central government, but so have plenty of other healthcare bodies and the Centre “has to meet the needs of the whole country.”
Bhattacharya said that if a second wave of the coronavirus hits Meghalaya, the state government is expected to bear the burden of the first lot of patients. This is not solely because of the funding constraints, but also because, as a teaching hospital, examinations are coming up for its students and there is a planned inspection from the Medical Council of India on the way.
The Director also pointed out that the institute is facing shortage in manpower and it is therefore difficult to provide both Covid care and its normal super specialty services.
Bhattacharya also said that if the public follows prescribed norms, the impact of the second wave will be minimal. He also encouraged people to get vaccinated.
“The fear of dying of COVID is more than any imaginable fear about vaccination,” he said.