GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Monday, and took stock of oxygen storage and treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients along with all other steps taken by the hospital authorities to tackle the pandemic.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, MLA Prasanta Phukan, Principal Secretary of Health Department Samir Kumar Sinha, GMCH Superintendent Dr Abhijit Sarma, GMCH Principal Dr Achyut Baishya and others accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit.
The Chief Minister also addressed a press meet at the GMCH and told the newsmen that the State government has been taking all possible steps to effectively manage the situation arising out of the latest wave of COVID-19 in the State, and be assured that an adequate number of hospital beds, ICUs, vaccines, oxygen etc have been kept ready for meeting exigencies. He lauded the Health Department for timely steps taken in managing the situation.
Expressing concern that some people have not paid heed to the advisory issued by the Government to follow COVID-19 protocols as they have been flouting the norms, Sonowal called on them to take precautionary measures such as wearing masks, hand washing and using sanitisers very seriously to contain the pandemic successfully. He also asserted that Assam performed in an exemplary manner in the fight against the first wave of COVID-19 and the experience gained during the previous wave would help the State Government in effectively managing the situation this time also.
Sonowal also thanked the journalists for helping the State Government in its efforts of combating the pandemic by creating mass awareness, and he urged them to extend similar cooperation this time as well. The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts taken by Health Department led by Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to contact foreign countries to bring medicines, oxygen etc., to the state, a press release said.