With Dimapur district alone accounting for 61% of Covid-19 positive cases in the State, Dimapur district nodal officer for Covid-19 management Y Kikheto Sema has called for preparing for the worst.
He expressed concern over meeting the urgent needs for beds and oxygen as all available facilities in both government and private hospitals have run out of capacities.
Admitting that it was very difficult for meeting the ever-increasing demands for beds and oxygen requirements despite cooperation from all hospitals at Dimapur, Kikheto appealed to the people, who have kept oxygen cylinders at their home for emergency use, to give them on loan and save human lives.
It may be mentioned that since May 13, about 58 Covid beds have been created in Dimapur, including 28 at referral hospital, besides the 76 beds created earlier. Besides, 10 beds were activated at Zion Hospital on Saturday and 10 beds at Faith Hospital & Institute of Medical Sciences, in addition to the earlier 41 beds and 10 at Eden Medical Centre.
Further, 45 Covid beds are expected to be created in tents on Monday – 30 at Eden Medical Centre and 15 at Nikos Hospital.
Kikheto has also requested the police to get 30 Covid beds ready at Police Referral Hospital, Chumukedima by next week.
Meanwhile, to deal with the situation, a team led by Kikheto and accompanied by commissioner police Rothihu Tetseo visited Olive Christian Hospital and Research Centre on Sunday.
During the meeting with hospital’s director Ikheto Sema, the team lauded the hospital management for hosting all non-Covid patients and where all 70 beds are reported to be full.
However, due to the urgent need for more beds for Covid patients, Sema requested the director of Olive Christian Hospital and Research Centre to set up makeshift facility even at the backyard of the hospital with at least 30 beds and get them activated by next week. In this regard, Kikheto directed Dimapur district administration to request Indian Army for setting up the makeshift facility, similar to the one set up at Eden Medical Centre.
The team also visited Nikos Hospital and during an interaction with Private Doctors’ Association, Dimapur, president Dr Vickto Wotsa, the nodal officer appreciated the contribution of private doctors even during the five wave of Covid-19 pandemic.
Kikheto claimed that Vickto informed him that they were getting ready to provide Covid beds despite space constraints and that 15 Covid beds would be activated by Monday. This was stated in a DIPR release.
Covid-19 management team visits New Naga Cemetery: Team Dimapur led by the nodal officer Khiketo Sema and accompanied by commissioner of police Rothihu Tetseo, ADC Athoke Aye and other officials visited New Naga Cemetery at Zani on Sunday and paid homage to those who had succumbed to Covid-19 virus.
The team arrived at a time when the 75th victim of Covid-19 from Dimapur was brought to the cemetery for burial, a DIPR report stated.
Pained to observe the absence of pastors/reverends at the burial site, Khiketo volunteered to pray before the burial took place and consoled family members of the deceased. He assured that the State government would continue to protect the loved ones.
The nodal officer thanked Naga Council, DImapur (NCD) for timely setting up the cemetery, pointing out that the old cemetery would not have been able to accommodate such a huge number of burials.
In this regard, he particularly thanked former NCD chairman late Ghokheto Chopy and the land donors for timely preparing the cemetery, which eased the burden of burials at this time of crisis.
Lauding Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) Task Force and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Home Guards personnel for managing the burial of Covid-related deaths, Khiketo remarked that this was one of the toughest jobs that deserved appreciation from all quarters.
He also thanked Western Sumi Hoho for its decision to extend monetary support to DMC and SDRF personnel involved in the burial of Covid victims.