Manipur PCC demands free treatment of Covid-19 patients, raises several questions, reacts MP Ranjan’s statement as baseless

Imphal: Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has demanded the BJP led government of Manipur to ensure free treatment of all the Covid patients, ‘as the recent state government’s order on capping the costs of treatment in private hospitals will not be possible to give dignity of life to the poor and the needy during war like situation in Covid pandemic.’

The demand was made in a press briefing through video conferencing by MPCC spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda on Thursday.

Will BJP government allow one individual to use the benefits of both PMJAY & CMHT? How many such beneficiaries have been treated for Covid under PMJAY & CMHT in the 1st wave of Covid pandemic in the state, as PMJAY under Ayushman Bharat had already commenced from April 4, 2020 by National Health Authority. Government of India? Can Rs 2 lakh under CMHT or Rs 5 lakh bear the entire costs of Covid treatment in a family of two or more Covid patients in one year? Who will bear the cost of Covid treatment for the poor In private hospitals when the cost become more than the financial limits given by PMJAY & CMHT? Why are PPE kits costs are not included the capping of the costs of cost of treatment? Why are the poor forced to buy Remdesivir at Rs 3,400 when the poor can’t earn even Rs 1000 in a month during lockdown like restrictions in Manipur? Bupenda asked.

The Manipur PCC demanded to ensure for the universal Covid death certificates in which the cause of the death must include ‘Covid’ so that the kins of the Covid death could receive the compensation to the Covid death and to ensure that the state government gives compensation to all the Covid deaths.

It said under Section 12(iii) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, every family whose member died due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh. And, the ministry of home affairs keeping in mind section 12 (iii) of the Act has issued an order April 8, 2015, by which a revised list of norms and assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund and National Disaster Response Fund was given. Since Covid-19 has been declared as a disaster and as per the order dated April 8, 2015, every family whose member dies due to disaster is entitled for ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh.

Will the BJP Government in Manipur wait till the Supreme Court orders for the compensation of the Covid deaths?

The MPCC demanded to ensure for fixed price, considering the poor’s pockets, on Covid tests In private laboratories or any relevant private establishments, to increase the number of daily vaccination percent for the age group of 18-45 in Manipur by aggressively robust allocation of vaccines in all the 16 districts of the state.

Has the BJP government prepared to buy vaccine doses on Its own under the Modi Government’s Iiberal policy on vaccines? Is the BP government going to rely only on the vaccine doses which are to be allocated from the central government for Manipur? It asked. It also demanded to establish the live tracking of oxygen demand, supply and distribution in all the 16 districts of the state, by additionally having oxygen auditing mechanism by a third party.

Union minister of DoNER Dr Jitendra had an urgent meeting with all the health secretaries of the eight North East states of India. In the meeting, the minister referred to support given by Japan and UNDP for Installation of Oxygen plant in each of the North East states. When will BJP government share to the people of Manipur on support given by Japan and UNDP for installing oxygen plant in Manipur? How many oxygen plants will be installed by Japan In Manipur? How many oxygen plant will be Installed by UNDP In Manipur? Has not the state BJP government officially been informed about such support front Japan and UNDP for Manipur by DoNER ministry so far? It asked.

Many district hospitals which are equipped with ICUs and ventilators, are not functioning due to lack of staff or even absence of staff in the hospital during Covid pandemic. When will the ICU facilities with ventilators in district hospitals become functional to treat Covid patients? It asked.

Bupenda reacted to the recent public statement given by Lok Sabha BJP MP from Manipur (inner) Dr R.K. Ranjan who stated that Congress was not seen in the fight against Covid pandemic, by refuting the member of Parliament that it was essentially and the Constitutional obligations of the ruling BJP government in the state to proactively fight, by taking along with all the stakeholders, including listening to the opposition, in the fight against the pandemic, instead of blaming the opposition Congress. To reply to such false and baseless charges, it is necessary to remind the MP that Congress is never for cheap publicity. Congress believes in giving constructive criticism, including practical suggestions during pandemic and It was clearly shown in the MPCC president K. Govindas’ letter to the Prime Minister Modi recently. It appears that the MP has given an opportunity as a reply to the public statement, to speak out the mismanagement of the incumbent BJP government in the state, he added.

BJP government’s lies is further exposed by recent inauguration of the building — which was constructed as TB (Tuberculosis) Hospital during the previous Congress government — as Covid hospital. While the government should have honestly dedicated the TB hospital to the people in such a way that the TB hospital’s infrastructure could be used temporarily treating Covid patients during the pandemic. Whether Inauguration by BJP chief minister of Manipur was for Covid Care centre or Dedicated Covid Hospital itself is not clear. The CLP leader and opposition leader O. Ibobi’s statement that the present BJP government will not be able to finish inaugurating all the yet to be completed programmes of the previous Congress government in 5 years, is being vindicated by the recent inauguration of the original TB hospital as Covid care centre, MPCC said.

Many PILs have been heard in the Supreme Court and High Courts of our country to ensure the fundamental rights, in the form of Article 21. Right to Life for Covid patients during Covid pandemic. It appears that unless the court intervene, the central government and the BJP government in the state are proactive enough to tackle the second wave of Covid, it added.

MPCC demanded to ensure that the Covid death’s last rites are performed with dignity by the state government. The SoPs for handling the dead bodies due to Covid from home isolation or Covid care centres or from anywhere must be publicized to the people so that the government officials and the ground frontline workers are briefed adequately to handle the Covid dead body with dignity.

How many frontline workers or staff are being deputed to carry one dead body in Manipur? How many frontline workers or staff, besides a driver, are being sent in an ambulance to carry the Covid dead body? Is the stretcher carried In an ambulance to carry the Covid dead body? Is the protective cover being used to cover the Covid dead body? How does the state government handle the Covid dead body which needs to be taken from home isolation? MPCC asked.

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