DIMAPUR, MAY 24 (MExN): The National People’s Youth Front (NPYF), Nagaland today issued an open letter to the Nagaland Chief Minister and claimed that it has found “gross anomalies” in terms of managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the State.
A press release from the NPYF media cell said that frontline workers, especially the medical fraternity should actually be made to attend to their duties on a rotational basis. “However, it has been reported that due to shortage of medical staff, the existing workers are compelled to work overtime. It has also been found that though the Community Health Officers (CHOs) are not supposed to be on duty, they were made to do so by the department concerned and that too without any payment of DA,” it alleged. The NPYF further alleged that the medical teams “are not even provided with the mandatory PPEs citing reason that there is shortage.”
It also pointed to laxity in medical response in many of the control rooms. The NPYF said that a 60 year old stroke patient had been under quarantine since May 19.
“Due to his condition, he decided to seek for medical assistance by calling the control room in Dimapur for a doctor. However, there was no response from their end. Alarmingly, the said patient was made to wait for more than 24 hours before a doctor was called to attend on him,” the NPYF stated.
It further expressed concern that “most of the frontline workers have not been supplied with” N95 masks, hand gloves, sanitizers and PPEs. The masks, hand gloves or PPEs which they are presently using have been mostly donated by civic societies, NGOs, benevolent individuals and other humanitarian organizations, the NPYF claimed and questioned where the equipment purchased by the State Government are.
The NPYF also informed that even Police personnel on duty have not been given proper instructions on how to take adequate steps to fight against the pandemic while at the same time maintaining public order and peace without protective gears and “only a basic one-time meal.”
Another issue was the state of drivers of requisitioned buses.
“During their duty hours, they were not even provided with tea or lunch by the department. During off duty they were provided with just rice and dal which was also quite unpalatable whereas according to strict government allotment norms the food package should have been at least worth Rs.200 per plate,” the NPYF stated.
It meanwhile criticized the government for ordering doctors and nurses “not to talk or speak to the media, group or individuals on any matter related to their grievances.”
The NPYF said that in almost all the quarantine centres, “norms have not been followed and there is little assistance provided to the inmates.”
“As regards the meal to be provided to the inmates undergoing quarantine, they are supposed to be provided with non-veg meals at least 3 times a week. But, unfortunately, we discovered that non-veg meals are provided only once a week,” it stated.
It also alleged that “many people are just let off without any screening at all.” The NPYF said that in many quarantine centres, there is no provision for isolated toilets. Rather, common toilets are provided which has to be used by the police personnel and health staff as well.
The NPYF also found that some people entering from Manipur side through Khuzama Check Post had to, on their own accord, wait for screening for nearly 3-4 hours at the check gate. The people again took a voluntary initiative of searching for a quarantine facility till Dimapur as the people manning the gate did not direct them to any such quarantine centre, it added.
It also questioned why some non medical government employees and untrained staff were “forced to work in the frontlines.”
The NPYF further said it was not allowed to inspect the ongoing works at the BSL-2 Laboratory in the Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR). “How will the Lab in Kohima alone manage with all the test samples collected?” it questioned, and expressed concern at the time being taken to complete the lab in Dimapur.
