Fight against COVID-19 will require long term strategies: HRDM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 17 2021: The Human Rights Defender Manipur has opined that long term strategies will be required to fight COVID-19 pandemic which is threatening humanity with its barrages of waves.

With restriction in place for almost three weeks, all activities and human transactions have been curbed but daily needs have not yet ceased thereby putting many households in dire straits, said HRDM in a statement.

It is thus high time for local representatives to kick-start door to door campaigns to reach out to the needy as they do at the time of election seeking votes or else they must find an alternative way to ensure these households go unstarved, HRDM said.

Leave poverty stricken country like India, the fight against COVID-19 has never been easy for rich countries as well so the State Government should formulate and beef up 'Covid-counciousness policy' to make sure people are safe from the virus as well as hunger, it said.

Unless there is a policy in place, the situation will never get better and the State will descend into chaos, it said.

All entry points to the State-via air or land, should be strictly monitored and all incoming passengers shouild be tested at centres set up at these entry points whether the passengers possess Covid negative certificates or not, HRDM suggested.

The State Government should also augment the health care facilities and infrastructure, recruit more manpower in wake of the ever rising Covid cases in the State and provide incentives to all healthcare workers in the front line, said HRDM and urged the State Government to make sure there is no shortage of medicines and equipment.

HRDM also urged the State Government to initiate a policy under which mass Covid testing and vaccination throughout the State can be conducted.

While not only suggesting a revamp in the task force or committees dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, HRDM also asked the State Government to check feasibility of an alternative policy to reduce the hardships of the people owing to the prolonged restrictions in place.

The Covid pandemic is no less than a war and there should be a specified set of responsibilities of both the Government and the people in wartime, said HRDM and added that there should be 'an endless policy in place for the endless war the virus is waging' .

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