IT News
Imphal, June 8:
The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has exploded the series of mismanagement that is being taken up in the name of containment of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
In a written speech, circulated to media houses, President of the MPCC, K. Govindas said that the state government led by the BJP fails to learn anything from the first wave and thus left the people unprotected from the 2nd wave. He said, “ The Chief Minister of Manipur has assured to build 200 bedded Emergency Covid Hospital at Langthabal, Imphal on March 30, 2020 in the 1st wave of Covid pandemic. But, it is 2021 now, and we are in the midst of the 2nd wave of the Covid pandemic, there is no such Covid Hospital in the state. Had the hospital been there in the 1st wave itself, many lives could have been saved today”.
The anguished President of the MPCC strikes at the present BJP government asking – Is this not the failure of preparation on the part of the government? Is this not the Covid mismanagement of the government in the state?
“We believe that there could be neither excuse nor forgiveness for the government’s gross failure on Covid in the 2nd wave”.
He said that as the people unitedly fight against the Covid pandemic, the MPCC has donated ambulances, oxygen concentrators, food packets and other relief materials to the people.
He added that the Congress party has been consistently raising questions, giving suggestions to the BJP government in the state. And even written to the Prime Minister, requesting for DRDO to build 1000 bedded exclusive Covid dedicated hospital in the state.
“Is there any harm if the Chief Minister pursues the Prime Minister’s Office on our request for DRDO’s 1000 bedded Covid hospital in the larger interests of our people to fight the 3rd wave of Covid pandemic?” Govindas asked.
He said that questions raised in the interests of the people of the state by the Congress party to both the BJP governments in the state and New Delhi, have not been responded positively.
Govindas further said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been advocating vaccination as the only primary solution to fight Covid pandemic in the country. All accepted that it is only through free universal vaccination that the innocent lives of our people can be saved and protected from Covid deadly infections and deaths. But, unfortunately, today, not even 3% of our state’s population has been vaccinated with 2nd dose. Many of those, who are waiting for the 2nd dose, are clueless of their specific dates to get the 2nd dose in the state.
“We, from the Congress, along with our CLP Leader O. Ibobi Singh, have submitted to the Governor of Manipur for the free universal vaccination of all in the state before the third wave of Covid pandemic hits us”, Govindas said.
In connection with the announcement of free vaccination to all by the Prime Minister, Govindas said that the announcement came only after the Supreme Court’s directives and due to people’s sentiments. Had the announcement been made earlier, many lives would have been saved in Manipur and other states of our country, he added.
“Today, in Manipur, vaccination rate is so low, that hardly 3% of its population is inoculated with 2nd dose. Even for 1st dose, Tripura has inoculated more of its population than that in Manipur. Unfortunately, the Chief Minister of the BJP’s state government can’t give a timeline in which the 100% eligible population will be vaccinated”, the Congress President said.
Govindas also added that even though the congress people and common people don’t have the right to know the types of variants of Covid infecting our people in the state, so far, the state government has not released the results of the genomic sequencing of the samples sent from the state. Without knowing the variants or the hybrids of the variants of Covid, how can the state government fight Covid pandemic in the state, Govindas questioned.
Govindas also showed serious concern about the economic condition of the people.
“We demanded for free treatment of all Covid patients in private hospitals too. But, contrary to our demand for our poor and needy people, the BJP government, instead of fixing the maximum total overall treatment of Covid, has fixed the cost in favour of the private hospitals, thereby allowing the rapid commercial profiteering over the daily covid treatments from the people of the state. Why did not the BJP government include the prices of Remdisivir and PPE kits in the costs of treatment fixed by the government? How can the poor, who has been stopped from earning due to curfew and containment restrictions by the government, be expected to buy Remdisivir and PPE kits on their own?”, Govindas said.
The MPCC president asked the BJP government to release the policy on how the government is going to tackle the 3rd wave of Covid pandemic in Manipur. What is the policy of the Chief Minister to tackle the 3rd wave? Is the Chief Minister prepared for the 3rd wave so that the public can also prepare?
