Manipur: No shortfall of medical equipment or basic necessities to face COVID-19, says Director of Health Services

Following the advisory of central government to conduct COVID1-9 mock drill on health facilities preparedness for managing COVID-19 cases, directorate of health service, Government examined the capacity and medical essentials of all government hospitals of Manipur.

Addressing media in a press conference held at office of health directorate on December 27, director of Health Services, Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang said that there is no shortfall of most of the medical equipment or basic necessities which are required to face COVID-19 surge. As such there is no need to get panic on increasing COVID-19 cases in other countries. 

He said that to ensure COVID-19 preparedness, mock drill was conducted in all the districts of Manipur. Through this exercise it came to notice the state can easily address problem of Oxygen cylinder as in every district PSA oxygen plant are installed. Before COVID-19 pandemic, the state government used to depend oxygen from private manufacture. 

About ICU beds, there are as many as 148 ICU bed and 500 oxygen supported bed in government hospitals. The number of ambulances operating in different part of the state was increase to 92 from 20, he informed. 

He said that for testing, RTCPCR testing service and TrueNAT is available in all districts of Manipur and at present as many as 1,50,000 RAT testing kit is there in stock. 

Regarding vaccination, vaccine stock is less for now in the state. The state government had urged to central government for procurement as per requirement. The vaccination rate in the state for first dose is 62.8 per cent, second dose is 52 per cent and third dose is less than 30 per cent. The state government will put all effort to increase the vaccination rate, he added.

While appealing to people of the state to follow COVID-19 appropriate behavior, he said that the state doesn’t receive COVID-19 positive case from December 14. So far, the state has detected eight different types of COVID-19 variants from the Manipur. Most of them are variant are mild. 

Viewing COVID-19 surge in other countries like China, Japan, North America, South America etc. government has started taking up precautionary measures. As such people should co-operate the initiative of the government so that another COVID-19 wave may occur in the state.