With no positive case of COVID-19 reported in the state of Manipur, after the two patients, tested positive have been tested negative, Manipur government showed a sign of relief. State cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister had relaxed the lockdown at some sectors without violating the Central government advisory on the lockdown while announcing the state as COVID-19 free. However, he too have stated that – it is just the beginning of the long war against the killer virus.
Coincidentally, it was also the day that the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of the worst of the Coronavirus yet to come. “Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us. Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand”, Tredos told media persons yesterday.
Whether, we the people of Manipur have reason to be relieved or remain more cautious with the announcement by WHO, is a matter that the N. Biren Singh administration needs to ponder upon. Saying so the Manipur government did take some good decision to lift the lockdown for Agricultural sectors and rural area, as we all know that we can’t simply sabotage the whole set up for solving a crisis. Complete measures for running the state while tackling the crisis created by the spread of Novel Coronavirus across the globe is also the duty of the administration.
What is needed at this hour of difficult time is the preparation to face the challenges. The character of the virus is yet to be understood and more findings are coming up each day. There are reports of relapsing of the virus even after cured. There are also reports about the virus ability to remain I the human body for a period of 37 days.
Well it was by God’s graced that the 2 positive patients have been reported negative after treatment at JNIMS and RIMS. Both the patients have been discharged.
But the question is that, hhave those patients discharged after being tested negative completely cured of COVID-19, or can the medical experts assured that both are cured of COVID-19 other than saying that they were found negative while tested. If so, then has the medical department understand the character of the virus? Enough research could have been done from both the patients to understand COVID-19. However, except for providing treatment with assumptive medication no, research to understand more on the virus had been done by the State Health department. The way that the state prepares to fight the pandemic showed more like a “yes sir” attitudes of colonial days.
When a District Administrator of Bilwara in Rajasthan ploughs his whole energy to find a model to protect the people, what study had been done by any of the state district administration to find a solution? What encouragement from the government side had been given to the administrators to protect the people from both hunger and the virus?
We have witnessed the hardship during the first lockdown and in this 2nd lockdown too, the people are going to face some hardships. After May 3, nobody knows what will be the kind of measures the government takes up. But if in case cases of positive COVID-19 detected in the state, is the government ready to take up the challenges. A million dollar question ?
