The Left party demanded that the state government must immediately ensure the availability of hospital beds, ventilators, ICU beds, particularly in the rural areas where the pandemic is spreading rapidly.
TFM Desk
Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI (M) Manipur Secretariat on Friday urged the Manipur Government to revamp battle strategy to win war against COVID-19 and also to provide immediate alternative arrangements for COVID-19 infected persons requiring critical medical intervention.
CPI (M) Manipur State Committee in a statement suggested some measures to tackle the worsening COVID situation in the state.
The Left party demanded that the state government must immediately ensure the availability of hospital beds, ventilators, ICU beds, particularly in the rural areas where the pandemic is spreading rapidly. Provision of oxygen to all hospitals and people needing it must be ensured, it added.
CPI (M) also proposed to launch a “Free Universal Vaccination” programme across the state. It further demanded the state government to spend the budgetary allocation for the pandemic and also to release the money collected in CM Relief Fund and use it for procuring vaccines from national and international agencies.
The party also demanded to directly transfer Rs. 7500 to all families in the non-income tax paying bracket and also to distribute foodgrains to all needy free of cost. Strictly control prices of essential drugs and oxygen and clampdown on hoarding and black marketing, it added.
The statement further stated that the surge in COVID-19 infection rate in the current second wave has been deeply alarming. Both government and private hospitals in the state are already flooded with patients. Available statistics shows that Manipur has the highest COVID-19 related death rate according to the population ratio among the Northeastern states, it added.
CPI (M) also said that already overstrained by the surging number of COVID infected persons, the hospitals are no longer admitting patients. Infected persons are left to their fate in the government-run COVID Care Centres, it said. “These centers especially in the twin districts of Imphal are in a shambles with inadequate infrastructures, poorly manned by a single medical officer with no para-medical staff. It is extremely disheartening that those infected persons deserving immediate critical medical intervention are left to meet their own fate in these centres”, it added.
Taking very serious note of the critical scenario, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Manipur State Committee demanded urgent expansion of critical care measures. The State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority in view of the alarming development should strengthen its effort at a war footing, it added.
The party further demanded that more number of ICU for COVID-19 infected persons should be made available wherever possible. If not, it is feared that the COVID related mortality rate will keep on increasing. Immediately increase the number of doctors and medical staff at the Covid Care Centres, and also augment the infrastructural requirement without any delay, it added.
The CPI(M) further stated that despite the lockdown and the curfew being imposed in the state by the government, the death toll and infection rate has been on the rise.
“There is urgent need for revamping the battle strategy to save lives from COVID-19. The CPI (M), would reiterate that chief minister, N Biren Singh must call an all-political party meeting so as to envision a better strategy to fight the pandemic. Representatives of civil bodies and prominent public intellectuals of the state must also be invited to refurbish and strengthen the earlier committee that was formed in the wake of the 1st wave of the pandemic,” it added.
Stating that one whole year has been “wasted” by this government which did not heed to any of our suggestions. Instead the government promoted “mega super spreader” events.
Now, Manipur cannot afford to lose any more time. At the least minimum, the government must immediately deliver the party’s demands, CPI (M) said. Otherwise, the central government completely loses its “moral authority” to continue to remain in office, it asserted.