While reviewing the status of the Covid-19 situation in Arunachal, the state cabinet in its recent meeting decided to expedite the work on getting 1,000 oxygen beds within a definite timeline. The state government has also accorded priority to vaccinate all eligible population, especially in the rural areas.
Hopefully, the setting up of two pressure swing absorption (PSA) oxygen plants in Arunachal, which has been approved by the union health & family welfare ministry and would be installed at Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun and Tenga in West Kameng district by the DRDO, will work to the state’s advantage.
On the other hand, the state also received a consignment of oxygen concentrators from the World Health Organization. According to Health Minister Alo Libang, the portable oxygen concentrators would be distributed to remote hospitals of various districts in the state. “We are preparing ourselves to fight the virus. We have now more than 300 oxygen beds and we plan to have 500 at the dedicated Covid hospital in Chimpu, besides more ICU beds,” the minister added.
While the focus is on giving all possible medical treatment to Covid-19 patients and speed up the vaccination drive, the state government should also keep in mind that all necessary measures should be in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, which is more dangerous in the second wave.
Observing the states which have gone through peak time with more and more fatalities during the second wave of Covid-19, Arunachal should take lockdown as the main weapon to fight the pandemic. At the same time, the government should also extend financial assistance to small traders, workers and the self-employed like autorickshaw and Sumo taxi drivers, so that they do not suffer in the fight against the pandemic.