Kota (Rajasthan): Speaker of the Lok Sabha Om Birla who is on a seven-day tour of his Kota-Bundi constituency spoke to ETV Bharat's Manish Gautam regarding ways to tackle the Covid crisis.
ETV Reporter: You're on a 7-day official visit to your Parliamentary constituency, what is the feedback you've taken from officials?
LS Speaker Om Birla: Yes, in fact, I've taken complete feedback from the officials of both the districts of the Kota and Bundi, which is my Parliamentary constituency regarding the Covid crisis. I am constantly in touch with the people and monitoring the entire situation. Efforts are being taken to ensure that my constituency and the whole nation are free from Coronavirus. Even the Centre and state governments are working in tandem to ensure that the infection is curbed. However, we still need to remain vigilant and monitor the situation. In Kota, the positivity rate is 15-16%, which is concerning. In this context, I have instructed the officers to do more tracing and testing, and provide better treatment to those infected. Also, adequate infrastructure needs to be created for Community Health Centres.
ETV Reporter: What steps are being taken to spread awareness in villages?
Om Birla: In every village, there must be frontline workers to monitor the situation and to assist people. In this time of the pandemic, everyone should take responsibility to keep the whole village healthy. This is a collective responsibility and we all have to fulfill it together.
ETV Reporter: What development in terms of medical infrastructure is being done?
Om Birla: Whether the third Covid wave comes or not, it is up to us to be vigilant and prepared to tackle it. In order to face this crisis, it is imperative that we upgrade our medical infrastructure, so that every life is saved.
ETV Reporter: What about the 'My Village Healthy' campaign?
Om Birla: As I've said earlier, people of all villages should be healthy. For this, people will have to come forward socially and engage in service work, so that when the villages are healthy, the whole country will be healthy. I've also discussed this with all MPs and MLAs, who are also doing their part at the ground level. Even social service workers also are actively participating in the campaign.
