Why is COVID unstoppable in Barak Valley?

SILCHAR: The nine-day lockdown — implemented unilaterally by the administrations of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts — has not shown any sign of significant change in the COVID-19 situation.

On the first day of lockdown, the SMCH (Silchar Medical College & Hospital) recorded six casualties in 24 hours; and its peak with the highest number of eight casualties in the Barak Valley was witnessed on September 7. This included the death of senior journalist Asim Dutta attached with the 'Prantajyoti Bengali' newspaper published from this town. And the graph continues to go up, upsetting all preventive measures and calculations of the administration and the Health department.

In his regular media briefing on Wednesday, Vice Principal of SMCH, Dr Bhaskar Gupta said that though during the last 24 hours, 160 persons have tested positive in the valley, no death has been recorded. He, however, added that of the 198 patients undergoing treatment at the COVID Care Centre, 28 are in critical condition and 58 are on oxygen support. More and more tests are adding to the corona-positive cases in the three districts of the valley. This is worrisome.

State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with Piyush Hazarika, Minister of State for Health, are regularly monitoring the situation of the valley to check the COVID-19 menace and improve the infrastructures at the SMCH, the Karimganj Civil Hospital and the Hailakandi-based SK Roy Hospital where the infected patients are being treated in respective COVID Care Centres. Measures are being taken to increase the bed capacity for COVID patients to 300 and that of the 12-bedded ICU to 40 at SMCH. Significantly each of the 20-bedded ICUs at Hailakandi and Karimganj, is being readied so that the critical patients are treated there instead of being shifted to SMCH which often proves fatal.

Since plasma therapy has become life saving, it is good that more and more donors and COVID-19 warriors from the among the public, BSF and Assam Rifles are coming forward to add to the blood bank.

Dr Babul Bezbaruah has informed about the vital life saving oxygen facility here. Two 40-lakh-litres capacity plants (of 20-lakh-litres each), are to be installed at SMCH. This will be a life saving booster for the critical patients. Despite many vacancies, he, however, did not admit any shortage of doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who are being put on rotation services to serve the patients.

Dr Lakhsamanan S, Director, NHM, Assam, on Tuesday sounded alert and cautioned that if the COVID-19 positive cases continue to rise, this will upset the Health structure and tell heavily on effectiveness of the measures to treat patients in the State as a whole.

Why is COVID-19 unstoppable in the valley? Roads, streets and markets remain crowded as usual. More than 60% people are seen without masks. There is nothing like social distancing. COVID protocol is being openly violated. There is no regular checkup by patients with high blood sugar, heart trouble, hypertension and kidney ailments despite being highly prone to COVID-19. Many get admitted for treatment in morbid condition which turns critical. People are also careless to download the 'Aarogya Setu' App' in their smartphones to check their health status regularly.

The State is doing its best. If people are careless and desperate, the graph of positive cases can hardly be contained.

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