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CPI(M) demands to set up experts’ panel to deal with Covid in Himachal
Former mayor Sanjay Chauhan that with the rapid increase in the infection, the healthcare facilities in the state have also started to collapse as Covid wards in IGMC and DDU, Shimla was full to capacity.
The state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has expressed serious concern over the spike in the number of Covid-19 fatalities and cases in Himachal Pradesh for the last few days and demanded the government set up a task force to deal with the situation.
“The state government should work on a war strategy to deal with it, strengthen the healthcare facilities in the state, set up a task force consisting of experts in the relevant fields, mainly in medicine, virology and management,” said Sanjay Chauhan, former mayor, and CPI(M)’s state secretariat member.
He said that the government must recruit doctors, nursing staff, lab technicians, pharmacists and other paramedical staff, and immediately build basic facilities and infrastructure.
“The government should also issue orders to private hospitals and labs for free Covid-19 tests and treatment and make efforts to stop its spread by providing adequate resources. For the last six days, more than 600 people have tested positive for coronavirus and the number of deaths has also increased,” said Chauhan.
He added that with the rapid increase in the infection, the healthcare facilities in the state have also started to collapse as Covid wards in IGMC and DDU, Shimla was full to capacity.
In an all-party meeting presided over by the chief minister on March 21, Chauhan said that CPI (M) had explicitly warned the government that the pandemic could create a catastrophic situation. To tackle the situation, his party had suggested recruiting doctors and build infrastructure. He alleged that the government did not take it the suggestions seriously.
He claimed that the government has collected more than Rs 84 crores from the public in the name of Covid and of this, it has spent only around Rs 25 crores.
“This has clearly exposed the government’s preparedness to deal with the virus,” he said.
“The government should immediately call an all-party meeting and work to tackle the terrible situation arising due to the pandemic. If it fails to act, the party will launch a stir,” said Chauhan.
