A video was widely circulated on social media on Wednesday, in which a person claimed that facilities at the Covid care centre (CCC) in Lekhi are pathetic and that the authorities are charging hefty amounts from the patients. Itanagar Capital Region DC Talo Potom later dismissed the allegation and issued a clarification. It was brought to the notice of the media that in fact the person was not charged anything on humanitarian grounds, and that an electric kettle was provided to him to have warm water. At a time when the second wave of Covid-19 is hitting the state hard, there is need to together fight this deadly battle. Without the support of citizens, the authorities alone will not be able to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The attempt to create unnecessary fear and spread wrong information should be avoided. This will weaken the fight. Already there is so much misinformation about Covid-19. The concern over poor facilities at the CCCs and DCHCs is genuine. Some of them definitely need upgrading. However, people should first raise the concern to the right person. If the authorities fail to respond, they should use the media and social media platforms to expose the faults. But directly making wild accusations without an iota of truth can hurt the spirit of the frontline and healthcare workers. This is the time to be responsible. Criticism should be backed by facts and evidence. The citizens need to behave responsibly.