GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is working on a war footing to fight the spread of COVID-19 in Assam. Though not a single case of COVID-19 positive has been reported in Assam, the state health department is leaving no stone unturned to get everything ready for any kind of eventuality. Talking to News Live chief managing editor Syed Zarir Hussain on ‘Prekhyapat’, Assam health minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma explained the timeline of preparedness and the immediate measures taken by the Assam Health Department.
TIMELINE
“Once we received the notification from Central Government we started the screenings at airports. Next, we were instructed to create isolation wards at all the hospitals and we did that. Then we were told to check all patients with fever, we started doing that from 12-13 March. Initially, we sent swabs to Pune for test. As Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) got recognised to do the tests the numbers started to increase. During this period, at GMCH, we had only 10 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and had reserved 6-10 ICUs. Also, a couple of ICUs in each hospitals. We also procured some masks,” said the health minister.
“Suddenly, the development in Italy and the high alert in India saw the requirement rise manifold. We started thinking what will happen if a thousand patients land up,” said Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“So, we started working on a war footing by vigourously starting checking in airports, railway stations, implemented social distancing, closure of schools and colleges. These were some of the measures that we have taken for now,” said Dr. Sarma.
GETTING READY FOR CORONAVIRUS
“But the objective was to get ourselves ready when it happens. We can’t relax thinking that it will not happen. We took many steps: First in GMCH, we have to increase 80 ICUs. There was no ventilator to be found anywhere. As work is going on for the super specialty hospital at GMCH a supplier suddenly came up with 50 units. It was a God’s gift that we weren’t expecting. Immediately we installed the units at GMCH on war footing. Thirty units have been installed. We will have one more new ICU where we are targetting 50 units,” stated Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“For Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) our MD, NHM, principal secretary, health, have been tirelessly working round the clock to get them. We have obtained around 1000 PPE so far,” said the health minister.
I am so pleasantly surprised to see that since my last visit here on March 25, authorities at Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH), Guwahati, have set up 12-bed fully-equipped ICU unit. My finest commendation to Dr Abhijit Sarma & team for this. pic.twitter.com/4zbeD5ceFf
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) March 28, 2020
