IT Desk
As per the government report on May 25, the number of active Covid-19 positive cases under home isolation is 4,499 people. Total number of active cases on the same day is reported to be 6785 people. This indicates that a total of 2,286 people tested positive with Covid-19 are either undergoing treatment at the two govt. Covid wards open at JNIMS and RIMS or at the three Covid wards open at Shija Hospital, Raj Medicity or AOI Babina Speciality Hospital or at the 8 district hospitals located at various district. Or Maybe they are being on quarantined at the 12 quarantine centers open by the government or by the local MLAs at their respective assembly constituencies.
Leaving aside the number of beds available at the local level community centers , there are at least 125 vacant bed at either of the 25 Covid-19 related community or treatment centers open by the government.
If included the number of local level community quarantine centers open – like the one open at Manipur College under the initiative of the local MLA Y. Khemchand who is also the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, number of vacant bed at the quarantine center could have been more than 125.
In Manipur’s society, home isolation for Covid-19 positive cases is just an excused. Except at some part of greater Imphal area or to some families of the state, it is next to impossible for a covid19 positive person to remain in self-isolation. 90% of the family in Urban area live together sharing the same bathroom, or nearly 80 % share rooms without proper partition with their near and dear ones. And moreover almost all family members were often drive by sentiments and emotions and sometimes they dare the covid-19 just to show their care and love to the infected family members.
Encouraging home isolation, at a time when the virus is spreading fast at community level is more like putting all in the dungeon of death.
On the other hand , the government seems to show off with more publicity to the war against the unseen virus. The vaccination was a flop show, the hospital arrangement is much more better in Private hospitals. The government’s open CCC centers are total flop. CHCs and district hospitals have no ICU or emergency oxygen backup. Those Ventilators sent to Thoubal and Kakhing are lying unused. And people in the containment area are getting just 3 kg of rice instead of the promised 5 Kg. And there are rumours about some privileged people engaging themselves in Oxygen business, which ofcourse need appreciations.
The total number of Bed including ICU for Covid treatment at RIMS , JNIMS , Shija Hospital, Raj Medicity and AIO Babina Speciality Hospital is 500. And not to be surprised – the number of ICU beds in the 3 private hospitals is much more than the number of ICU beds in both the largest hospitals in the state RIMS and JNIMS.
As per a government document released on May 14, the total number of ICU beds at both RIMS (with 10) and JNIMs (with 10) is just 20 , while the number of ICU beds at the 3 private hospitals – Shija (42), Raj (25) and Babina (5) is 72. These three private hospitals have less number of beds in Covid Care wards (General) than the two so call largest hospital of the state at which one is run under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and another run by the state government.
Off the 8 district hospitals and CHCs there are no ICUs open and still there are no provisions announced for opening of ICU for Covid treatment in the 8 health centers.
