Covid-19: Inoculate the young immediately, Congress tells Assam govt

GUWAHATI: The opposition Congress on Wednesday met Assam chief secretary Jishnu Barua, demanding the procurement of more vaccines immediately to inoculate the entire population of 18 to 44 years.
The launch of the vaccination drive for this age group was limited on the first day due to the delay in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.
Considering the surge in cases impacting a large number of young people, the Congress delegation, led by Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora, expressed serious concern about the present situation in the state arising out of the rapid virus transmission.
In a memorandum submitted to the chief secretary, the Congress urged capacity-building to tackle the spike.
“The preparedness of the government must be enhanced by adding more hospital beds in the districts and sub-divisional headquarters and ensuring uninterrupted supply of oxygen,” Bora said.
The Congress demanded drafting more doctors, medical students, nurses, midwives, Asha workers and other trained civilians for tackling the emergency.
“The testing capacity must be augmented and the testing ambit must be expanded to cover larger sections of society,” read the memorandum, where the Congress demanded the procurement of more vaccines urgently.
Further, opposition leaders urged the government to ready emergency contingency measures to keep supplies of all essential commodities for the common people at affordable prices. Rise in the prices of essential commodities has creased the brows of many, particularly during a pandemic.
“The government must make an immediate contingent plan for the uninterrupted supply of all essential commodities and services in case of a national lockdown or a state level lockdown,” stated the memorandum.
The Congress expressed its dissatisfaction over the non-availability of vaccines in many private hospitals.
“The government had recently stopped the supply of Covid vaccines to select private hospitals. The government must restore the facility in all private hospitals,” Bora added.
Amid reports of hospitals, including medical colleges, prioritising Covid patients over other serious ones, the Congress demanded that the health system should be extended to all patients, Covid or non-Covid and that priority should be given to all serious cases.
As many states are creating jumbo Covid centres in cities and towns with trained staff and proper hygiene, the Congress urged the state government to create such infrastructure.
“The situation in many states has gone from bad to worse. In view of this we urge the government to take immediate appropriate action to save the lives of the people of Assam. We will extend our full cooperation to the government for its fight against Covid,” said Bora.