All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO) has called for taking up collective effort with the government in combating the COVID-19 that has so far infected 25 persons in Manipur. The increasing number of COVID-19 positive has severely threatened the people. Everyone in the state has to take proper decision on the type of measures to be taken and work together, AMUCO said in press release on Wednesday.
As the government has started bringing back the state natives and has to continue it, everyone here has to be very careful in taking up measures, it said.
It will not be fruitful if the state government goes alone. Hence, the government need to declare its decision what the government wants from the people following new developments.
Extending of lockdown and curfew, and prohibiting non-government volunteers will not help overcome spreading of the disease. As the state government imposed lockdown, strongly fighting against COVID-19, Manipur became a Green Zone for some days. However, the increase in the number of positive has alarmed the state, it added.
The government has been bringing back state natives and taking up initiatives to continue it targeting to bring back about 50 thousand Manipur denizens. The number may exceed.
What is alarming is whether those returning from Orange and Red Zone declared states are properly tested or screened. It is not clear what measures would be taken up in this regard, AMUCO said.
It is required for the state authority to strictly examine if the quarantine centres opened here are supportive against the pandemic, it added.
The government also need to find out if the state has provided adequate face mask, personal protective equipment, gloves, etc., to the frontliners--medical practitioners, media, police, etc., and make sure to provide protection kits. Tested negative of the disease at centres opened at inter-state transit points may happen to be false as experts opine that 70 percent of test results would come true. People and medical practitioners need to be very careful.
The government and people need to analyse what would be the condition of medical practitioners when the number active cases rise up suddenly, it added.
In the developed York city, having 12 million people, 14 per cent were infected by COVID-19 and killed 20,000. It is questionable that what measures can be taken up when 1% of 30 Lakh strong Manipur population are infected, it said and asked if there are appropriate medical practitioners in the state hospitals.
It is questionable how far the two biggest hospitals in the state (JNIMS and RIMS), where the COVID-19 infected persons are treated, can contain the disease. All the patients who come to the hospitals have no separate entrance. AMUCO regards that preventive measures should begin at the hospital gates, it added.
The state expert committee need to be expanded with more concerned experts, it opined.
The clubs organisation fears that the pandemic would largely infect during the rainy season till the winter season, it said. It appealed that the Manipur government and the people should together take a firm stance to prevent the pandemic from spreading further in the state.
