Agartala (Tripura): Ramp up tracing and testings facilities of Covid 19 said Deputy leader of the opposition and former health minister Badal Chowdhury on Friday as his party feels that it was the only option that could help the state government contain the fresh spike of Covid 19 cases in Tripura.
Addressing a press conference at the state headquarters of the CPI(M) party Chowdhury said, "a fresh spike in Covid 19 cases are being reported in the state and now the primary duty of all of us should be to defeat the virus. The state government must ensure that no infected person is left out of the purview of surveillance. An intense identification drive needs to be undertaken covering bus stops, railway stations, airports and other possible routes that can help the virus to enter the state".
Chowdhury had prior to the press conference held a meeting with state education minister Ratan Lal Nath and made some specific suggestions. Former minister Tapan Chakraborty, who also served in the health minister position for a long time accompanied him.
"Since the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister both are Covid 19 infected and are not attending the offices, we have met education minister Ratan Lal Nath although no official responsibility has been given to him. Among the major points that we have placed before him, the first thing is the suspension of classes. All the educational institutions should be closed down in view of the alarming situation. On this, the education minister has said that a preliminary decision to suspend all the classes of schools, colleges and universities have been taken and soon a final decision will be taken after consulting the think tanks", Chowdhury added.
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Chowdhury maintained that his party would extend all possible help to the state government to face the Covid 19 challenge. "We have 350 plus unemployed doctors. We have more than enough nurses sitting idle. This is time, we should engage them in fights against Covid. We don't have any dearth of equipment, we need trained people to run these things. Let's not forget, the healthcare workers can only save us. If necessity emerges, we MLAs, all the elected members of Panchayat, municipalities shall come forward and contribute our parts in battling the Covid situation", said Chowdhury.
On the economic front, he reiterated his party's demand of Rs 7,500 cash dole and not less than 35 Kgs of rice in Rs 5 per kg for the economically backward or non-taxpaying families. He argued that the cash in hand scheme will revive the flow of money in the market that ultimately help the markets marred by the Covid 19 strike.
MLA Tapan Chakraborty said, "our health system is enough to tackle Covid. The way last year the hospitals have been redesigned, we need to re-open our hospitals in the same way. Decentralisation of the health system is also necessary. In all the district hospitals we have microbiologists. Now if the RT-PCR machines can be installed in these health facilities, the tracking and tracing of patients can be speeded up".
The deputy opposition leader also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said that they were flouting the Covid 19 norms openly. "In Bengal, this perhaps the longest election we are witnessing. The Covid 19 tally is increasing day by day and Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country seem to flout the norms openly", he claimed.
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