COVID-19

Robust healthcare system built by previous Congress government helping to fight COVID-19 in Manipur: MPCC

The MPCC said that the fight against pandemic in Manipur would be much more difficult if the Congress-led previous government did not develop the RIMS at the status of Central government hospital and the JNIMS as a state-owned medical institute.

ByIFP Bureau

Updated 23 Jun 2021, 6:10 am

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Reacting to allegations made by the state government to Congress party, the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has claimed that the ongoing pandemic can be fought effectively as a robust healthcare system was developed by the previous Congress-led government in the state.

In a video conference held on Tuesday, MPCC spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said that the BJP-led state government recently blamed the previous government for the rise in fuel prices, difficulties in fighting pandemic, recruitment and others.

He said that the fight against pandemic would be much more difficult if the Congress-led previous government had not develop the Regional Institute of Media Sciences (RIMS) at the status of Central government hospital and the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) as a state-owned medical institute.

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Medical institutes like JNIMS are rare in the entire Northeast India and RIMS is one of the most technologically and scientifically well-equipped institutes. Both are playing major roles in tackling the present health crisis, he added, while questioning whether the BJP government built or run any new medical colleges since 2017 which are at par with AIIMS.

He continued that during the tenure of the Congress government in the state, many primary health centres and community health centres were set up.

"Instead of strengthening the infrastructure of the healthcare sector developed by the then Congress government, the present BJP government is much keen in giving comparisons in terms of the number of ICUs equipped with ventilators during the present and previous governments. BJP must realise that the COVID-19 pandemic mandates any government, whether Congress or not, to procure any new medical equipment to combat this pandemic," said Bupenda.

He further pointed out that if the Congress government had not built the industrial centre at Lamboikhongnangkhong and TB hospital at Keirao, the present BJP-led state government would face a harder time in finding locations for COVID care centres during these critical days of the pandemic.

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Bupenda also said that the Congress-led coalition government which governed from 2002 to 2017 had always committed to maintain fiscal discipline and management for better economy of the state. It is justified with the passing of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act in 2005.

However, the BJP in the state gave statements in a manner to confuse the people by blaming the then chief minister Ibobi-led Congress government as the cause of financial burden to them with the amount of Rs 8,707 crore. To ease the financial burden it appears that the BJP has been justifying the relentless rise in petrol and diesel prices in the state even during this pandemic, he added.

He continued that the financial liability of Rs 8807.82 crore as claimed by the BJP is not due to the Congress government only but the state government had been in debts even prior to 2002.

“If the BJP is blaming the Congress government for Rs 8807.82 crore debts, then should the next government in 2022 also blame the present BJP government for its financial liabilities in the next five years?” the MPCC spokesperson asked.

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COVID-19MPCCRIMSJNIMS

IFP Bureau

IFP Bureau

IMPHAL, Manipur

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