Demanding steps on a war footing to halt the rising Covid infections in rural and tribal areas, several BJP MLAs on Friday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The MLAs of the principal opposition party demanded that State Government strengthen the existing health infrastructures like Sub-Centre, PHC, PHC (NEW) and CHC and start door-to-door testing and fast pace tracing.
Hospital capacity of CHCs should be increased to at least 20 beds and required doctors, paramedics be recruited, adequate number of doctors and staff be appointed in district Covid Care Centres. It should not merely seen as number of beds; the Government should prioritise beds with oxygen and ventilators. The BJP legislators alleged that because of shortage of technical staffs to operate oxygen cylinders and ventilators, Covid patients are dying in PHCs, CHCs and district and medical college hospitals.
They stated that due to lack of sufficient space in houses of people in rural and tribal areas, it is practically difficult to stay in home isolation and quarantine. Without any delay, the Government should re-establish defunct TMCs and quarantine centres in gram panchayat level and ensure smooth management of these centres. Covid Crisis Management Committees should be formed immediately with representation from local people’s representatives, NGOs, health workers. The committees should be asked to create awareness among people; and whenever necessary, critical cases should be referred to district- and State-level Covid hospitals.
While urging the Government to respond to the Covid crisis basing on scientific inputs, in no circumstances should Governemnt hide the truth and number of deaths as it fuels resentment among people in rural an d tribal areas, the letter stated.
The signatories to the letter were Keonjhar MLA and Opposition Chief Whip Mohan Charan Majhi, Loisingha MLA Dr Mukesh Mahaling, Paralakhemundi MLA K Narayana Rao, Brahamagiri MLA Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mahapatra and Baripada MLA Prakash Soren.