COVID-19: NPF, NPCC continue to question govt’s preparedness

Naga People Front (NPF) Tuesday fired a fresh salvo at the state government on handling the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, saying it “embarrassingly” reflected the ineptness, lack of knowledge, lethargy and wavering political leadership.

NPF through its press bureau stated that the recent media reports on the conditions of state’s health infrastructures, diagnostics labs, para medical equipment and inadequate safety measures for health workers have “enormously proved” that the government was not doing enough. 

Questioning the state government whether it had any concrete action plan, the opposition NPF said that executing lockdown was not enough and maintained that the government needed to focus on mass testing, proper treatment and medication and ensure safety measures.

According to NPF, the PDA government had, last week, “proudly” claimed that the state was well prepared to combat COVID-19 pandemic. However, it said that, going by the reports, the frontline workers were at risk due to inferior quality of protective materials.

The opposition party also cited media report about COVID-19 Hospital Dimapur not ready to admit any COVID patient and unavailability of funds for renovation of the hospital. 

It said there were also complaints that PPE supplied were incomplete and of inferior quality besides Covid doctors resolving not to attend patients without quality PPE kits. “This shows a real mess and incompetency of the government,” NPF said and demanded that the health minister step down on moral ground.

Further, taking a swipe at the chief minister, the NPF said directive for renovation of hospital purportedly given by chief minister during his visit was “just in verbal and there has been no seriousness on his part.”  It said that if the chief minister “feels not capable enough” to tackle the situation, his government must “immediately pave way for alternate arrangement of government instead of clinging on to his seats but failing in their jobs.”

Stating that the Centre had sanctioned crores of rupees to Nagaland to combat COVID-19, the opposition party said various organizations and individuals have also contributed towards the noble cause. 

It pointed out that Nagaland received from the Centre its first instalment of Rs 20.50 crore under the State Disaster Response and Mitigation Fund (SDRMF) for the year 2020-21. It also said that the Ministry of Finance on April 3 released Rs 32641.66 lakhs as grants-in-aid. 

As regards, NPF warned that if responsible people neglect the health sector that cost lives despite sufficient funds, the government would be held accountable to the victims and citizens. 

Meanwhile, the NPF has asked the government to set up a control room to monitor supply of essential commodities. It said there were complaints of disruption of supply of essential commodities to many far-flung areas. 

NPF also urged the government to make certain arrangement to let stranded students and travellers reach their villages. 

Expressing shock over the purported supply of “inferior quality” personal protective equipment (PPE) to the medical teams, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) Tuesday asserted that supplying sub-standard ‘protective’ equipment in current situation was “a crime against humanity.”

In a press release, NPCC president, K Therie, questioned when the specifications given by the department were for FFP-3 or N95 masks then why were sub-standard materials being delivered to Nagaland? 

Asking who was responsible such action, the NPCC president has urged the state government to “come out clearly before the public.” Therie said that Nagaland not having the facility to admit even one COVID-19 patient and sent to Guwahati has exposed “complete inability” of the government. “The government has recently assured we are prepared. Please don’t tell lies to the people on pandemic at least,” Therie said.

Claiming that China had constructed 10,000-beded hospital in 10 days, the NPCC president said Nagaland cannot convert the existing rooms and beds to receive even one Covid-19 patient. It stated that Dimapur Civil Hospital was vacated to be converted into a 100-bedded COVID-19 Hospital “quiet sometime back.”

Therie said that what the state government has been doing all these years has been exposed by the “pathetic condition” of COVID-designate District Hospital for Dimapur. “‘Block-B’ construction is another ‘High Court’ or ‘Indoor Stadium’,” Therie said, adding that the up gradation project for which the government had paid more than Rs. 15 crore did not look worth more than Rs. 5 crore. He also said all the photos of the chief minister and health minister in local dailies “claim they are working hard all this time.” However, Therie said it was “shocking” that knowing fully they have accepted sub-standard quality of PPE.

Meanwhile, NPCC has demanded that best PPE be immediately provided; immediately set up testing laboratories on a war footing and double the salaries of public sector health care teams and announce financial assistance packages for the private sector healthcare setups to enable continued medical services to the citizens.