Centre's warning

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday literally pressed the alarm bell by asking the Government of Assam to be well equipped with oxygen, oxygen-supported beds, ICUs and other items on a priority basis by August 15 as the state is going to cross the 64,000-mark in the number of corona positive cases next month. The warning, issued in the form of a letter to Dispur by Rajesh Bhushan, OSD of the National Health Mission (NHM), issued on behalf of the Union Ministry, has also said that the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Guwahati city alone would cross the 32,000 mark next month. This is indeed a warning that should be taken seriously by the BJP-led government of Sarbananda Sonowal, who should immediately take up the matter with none other than the Prime Minister of India, so that proper preparations are being made at the earliest possible time. With hardly ten days left for August to set in, the number of persons testing positive has been already jumping every passing day, be it in Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Nagaon, Dibrugarh or Diphu. The Union Health Ministry has particularly underlined the need to urgently increase the bed-capacity wherever necessary and availability of sufficient oxygen-supported beds, oxygen supply and ICU beds, and has set August 15 as the deadline. As the Union Ministry has estimated, the total number of Covid-19 cases in Assam will be 64,389 by August, of which roughly 32,933 cases will be in Kamrup (Metro) district alone. But, even as the warning has been issued and the Sonowal government expected to take up the matter at the highest level in New Delhi, citizens too have a great responsibility to help the state tide over the emerging dangerous situation. One, it is also the bounden duty of every educated and responsible citizen to warn those who roam around without a proper mask, and without maintaining the minimum physical distance. Two, it is also the duty of the responsible citizen to immediately inform the authorities about any instance of flouting the mask and physical distance norm that comes to notice. Elected representatives of the people also have a big role – in ensuring appropriate behaviour by citizens, as well as themselves. Simultaneously, the MPs and MLAs should also find out what kind of difficulty citizens are facing, especially when a large majority have lost their means of livelihood.