Nagaland health and family welfare minister S. Pangyu Phom on Tuesday visited hospitals in Dimapur to take stock of the preparedness and preventive measures put in place against Covid-19.

Phom, accompanied by adviser to information and public relations and village guards departments, Toshi Wungtung, visited the military hospital at Rangapahar, Eden Hospital and Referral Hospital. He also visited Dimapur airport.

Phom expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made at the Rangapahar military hospital with nine isolation beds and eight beds in the ICU with one ventilator and two transport ventilators, exclusively for Covid-19 cases.

During a brief interaction with the minister, the General officer Commanding, Spear Corps, Lt Gen. R.P. Kalita, said the military hospital has kept a team of 100 personnel ready to work in shifts in any of the isolation zones in the event of extreme emergency.

Underscoring the importance of social distancing, Kalita said leave has been extended to those soldiers who are already on leave and those who have returned from leave for unavoidable reasons have been quarantined.

He said all international borders, including Myanmar and Longwa, have been completely sealed.

Longwa is a village situated 42km from Mon town of Nagaland and the inhabitants of the village enjoy dual citizenship of India and Myanmar. The India-Myanmar border passes through this village.

Kalita added that troops have been deployed to prevent the movement of people not only in Nagaland but also in Manipur and Mizoram.

At Eden Hospital, the minister and his team held a brief meeting with the Nagaland Private Doctors Association.

He expressed gratitude to the private doctors for showing their concern at times like this. He said, “Let us all work together because only the government sector alone cannot do without the help of your specialised skills.”

The authority at Referral Hospital said 10 beds have been set up, 120 staff trained and separate rapid response team for Covid-19 cases has been put in place in the hospital. However, the hospital authority said there are limited ventilators and it can spare said only two to three ventilators in the event of a sudden outbreak of Covid-19.

It apprised the minister about the shortage of protective gowns and N-95 masks for the health workers. It said the hospital has only 25 gowns which will suffice for only one day if an emergency situation arises.

Phom assured of all possible help to the hospital from the government.

Wungtung advised the people not to panic and encouraged the frontline workers to continue to work on a war footing.

The Nagaland PCC on Tuesday urged the Centre to set up a Covid-19 testing laboratory with experts in Nagaland as they did in Iran to evacuate stranded Indians.

In a release issued by its communications department, the PCC said the situation in the state, where healthcare workers are put to work without much protective gears and equipment, is a cause for serious concern.

The PCC appealed to all political parties to come together and secure the lives and future of the people.

It urged the People’s Democratic Alliance government understand the plight of those, especially healthcare workers, waging battle against Covid-19.

The PCC said it came to know that monthly salaries of nurses employed on contract basis are still pending, which is appalling.

It suggested some action plans to substantiate the government’s effort in containing Covid-19.

The PCC suggested enforcement of total lockdown in urban areas across the state with exemption only to essential services. It said village/colony councils, especially in urban areas, be directed to sensitise people and prevent unnecessary movements within respective jurisdiction.

Village councils of villages located near the porous boundary with neighbouring states must be empowered to check movement of people in the absence of state police personnel.

The PCC said apart from health care workers, police and other emergency/essential service workers have to be fully protected with mask and clothing gear that meets prescribed requirements. Special monetary allowance must be granted to those working in frontline against Covid-19.

The PCC said the political leaders, especially from the ruling government, must avoid attempting to convert battle against Covid-19 into an event management spectacle as it recently happened after Janata Curfew on Sunday.