Shillong, May 15: The opposition Congress has asked the state government to declare dedicated Covid hospitals and to utilize schools as community quarantine centres for isolating the positive cases considering the high infectious rate of the second wave.

A memorandum on this regard was submitted to the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma by four Congress MLAs – Ampareen Lyngdoh (East Shillong), Zenith M Sangma (Rangsakona), George B Lyngdoh (Umroi) and Himalaya Shangpliang (Mawsynram) – on Saturday.

The MLAs said that one of the prime reasons for the uncontrolled spread of the infection is home isolation of maximum infected citizens who do not have proper accommodation in their homes.

According to them, this concern was repeatedly raised in order to alert the government so that it can ensure proper isolation facilities across the state.

They said even though the government has instructed the Districts to identify the community quarantine centres, there has been no communication as to how the identified centres would be managed.

“We would like to suggest that every CHC & PHC should mandatorily identify such centres. In urban areas, all the schools and open grounds (with temporary tents) can be utilised as community quarantine centres. Such centres should also be provided with beds and mattresses, toiletries, medical and support staff especially essentials like food and medicines,” the legislators said.

Stating that all hospitals are simultaneously providing medical aid for both Covid and non-Covid cases, they said dedicated Covid hospitals should be declared by the State Government especially in Shillong agglomeration.

“This will reduce the strain on the health care system and dedicated medical experts can be deployed in such hospitals. Non Covid cases will also not be mixed with Covid related cases,” they said.

“For instance, if the TB Hospital in Umsawli is identified as a Covid Care hospital, dedicated doctors and medical staff, beds, ICUs, Ventilators can be arranged. This will ensure dedicated and concentrated efforts for Covid Care. If 2-3 such dedicated hospitals are included it will ease the pressure across the medical fraternity and shifts can be planned for them.”

The Congress MLAs also demanded the state government to ensure all Covid-19 related expenses should be 100% covered under the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) for all patients.

They said that for MHIS registered families that are tested positive for Covid19 but not requiring hospitalisation, the medical expenses are not covered under MHIS.

“Even under home isolation or quarantine, being a pandemic, it is criminal if MHIS does not include all types of Covid19 related expenses,” they added.

Meanwhile, the legislators also suggested that the immunisation teams should not be placed in the hospitals as they are facing tremendous workload.

Therefore, dedicated vaccine/immunisation centres may be created in few places especially in the urban areas, with makeshift arrangements where necessary.

They said additional and separate vaccination teams should be identified to handle the entire immunisation process. This will reduce the workload on the frontline workers and at the same time reduce the probability of infections spreading amongst the people.

The process of vaccination needs smoothening as the age-wise segregation from 18-44 and 45+ is creating confusion for the vaccination teams at the ground level, as well as for the people, the legislators stated.