Staff Reporter
Dimapur district nodal officer for managing Covid-19 activities and agriculture production commissioner (APC) Y Kikheto Sema claimed that Team Dimapur increased bed capacity by 205 within a week amidst the rising Covid-19 cases in the district.
Addressing the media at deputy commissioner (DC) office’s conference hall here on Wednesday, he said Dimapur now had a total capacity of 296 beds – 51 at Faith Hospital and Institute of Medical Sciences, 10 at Nikos Hospital, 25 at Eden Medical Centre, six at Zion Hospital, 104 at Christian Institute for Health Sciences and Research and 100 at District Hospital Dimapur. Over all, he said there were 40 ICU beds, 192 oxygen beds, 25 non-oxygen beds and 10 makeshift beds.
He claimed that several private hospitals have assured to further increase their bed capacities for intake of more Covid-19 patients, and thus, he added that the district could witness an increase of bed capacity to around 300 in the next few days.
Kikheto further informed that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had buried a total of 158 bodies of Covid patients without anyone having been infected by the virus, while reminding that a maximum of 20 persons can attend a burial by following the SOP so that the rituals could be performed.
He said he had witnessed SDRF personnel praying for the departed souls with none of the deceased’s family members being present.
Kikheto remarked that it was wrong on the part of village councils and their leaders to deny burial of their own villagers who had succumbed to the virus. He claimed that the bodies and coffins were properly sanitised and wrapped and were thus safe for proper and respectable burial.
No unauthorized regulations allowed: DC Dmu
In a clear warning to various colonies/villages, deputy commissioner Dimapur, R. Soundararajan categorically stated that no one can impose modified restrictions or relaxations under their jurisdictions, other than the ones issued by the state government.
The DC said that the District Task Force has been monitoring all entry and exit points and insisting on production of Covid-19 negative test reports from those entering the State, adding that tests were being facilitated for those without negative reports.
Regarding the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plant in Dimapur, the DC said the installation was completed, and that its samples had been sent to Delhi for certification. He added that, once certified, the plant would start functioning.