COVID-test centres required in all 33 districts of Assam, says AASU

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The government should set up a COVID-testing laboratory in each of the 33 districts of the State. This is needed especially because there has been a sudden rise in coronavirus cases in Assam. At present only five corona-testing laboratories are there across Assam. This was stated by the advisor-in-chief of All Assam Students Union (AASU) Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya here on Wednesday.

“We feel that not enough COVID testing has been conducted in Assam. This is despite the appeal of World Health Organization (WHO) to conduct the maximum number of testing across the globe.

“Already a number of COVID positive cases have been registered in Assam. We are more concerned following the news of many persons from the State returning from the Tablighi congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi. The common masses are also quite worried about the issue since Tuesday after the first positive case of a Tablighi returnee was registered in Karimganj.

“The government must ensure two things with respect to these persons. First, they must be traced out and the required treatment provided. Second, their contact-tracing should be done, and COVID-testing must be carried of those contacts as well.

“We urge all to remain indoors during the ongoing 21-day lockdown period. This along with social distancing is the only way out to remain safe at this critical moment especially because no medicine against coronavirus has yet been found.”

Bhattacharyya lauded the Assam government particularly its Health department on the various steps initiated against the deadly contagious virus, particularly the transformation of many government hospitals as corona hospitals and the move to set up a large quarantine centre at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati.

He, however, pointed out, “However, there are several lacunae in the health sector of the country and also the State. But, this is not the right time to talk about these loopholes. We’ll say about them at an appropriate time. The role of AASU at this juncture will be a positive one.”

Meanwhile, AASU president Dipanko Kumar Nath and general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi in a joint press release appealed to the masses “to stay at home and stay safe”. They have also urged all the Tablighi visitors to voluntarily report at the nearest health centre.

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