HAILAKANDI: To cope up with the ever increasing returnees from different parts of the country, the Hailakandi district administration has set up additional quarantine facilities to put people under quarantine. Ever since assuming office almost a week ago, Deputy Commissioner, MN Dahal is on a mission to create additional quarantine facilities in schools and colleges and to strengthen the existing centres and isolation wards in hospitals.
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Health, EL Faihraem revealed that the administration has geared up to enhance the capacity of the institutional quarantine centres and setting up new ‘Dedicated COVID Care Health Centers’ to put the incoming people from different parts of the country under quarantine. “We have a present bed strength of 1,000 with provisions for another 1,000 to accommodate the stranded people coming back home from different parts of the country,†added Faihraem.
Keeping in view the return of a large number of people during the ongoing COVID 19-induced lockdown from outside the district in the coming days and possible shortage of places to quarantine them, the administration is mulling converting the abandoned houses or government quarters into quarantine facilities, said an official. “Such abandoned houses or official quarters can be cleaned up, sanitised and converted to serve as quarantine centres in addition to the quarantine facilities in school and college buildings, the official added.
On Saturday, accompanied by senior officials of the administration and Superintendent of Police, Deputy Commissioner, Dahal inspected the cattle market at Dholeswari point, not far off from the inter-district border with Cachar and Karimganj districts, for setting up of a facilitation-cum-screening camp for screening of people coming from outside the district. “This sprawling ground will be turned into a facilitation-cum-screening camp to screen the persons coming to their home district from different parts of the country, either by bus or by train or other modes of transport,†said District Development Commissioner, Vikram Dev Sharma, who was present during the inspection of the site.
The administration has formed hygiene and refreshment cells to ensure smooth management of the quarantine centres. People coming from outside are being mandatorily quarantined for 14 days by the administration either at home or at centres set up for the purpose as a precautionary measure. The district information and public relations office said that a total of 3,796 persons had been screened out of which 2,406 persons put under home and institutional quarantine till May 17. On Sunday, eight more persons have been home quarantined. 37 swab results turned out to be negative today. Of the total 520 swab samples taken, 473 have tested negative while one person died of COVID19. Results of 46 swab samples are awaited.