NAMO DIXIT
NAMCHI: The Voluntary Blood Donors Association of Sikkim (VBDAS) is working to fulfil the requirement of blood in the hospitals across the State during the lockdown period.
The VBDAS recently conducted a blood donation camp at south district hospital, Namchi followed by a similar camp at Singtam hospital.
VBDAS president Kishore Baniya informed that due to committed efforts of different organisations related with voluntary blood donation, the district hospitals at Namchi, Singtam and Geyzing have sufficient units of blood in their blood banks presently. We have more to do for STNM hospital and CRH, Manipal as the requirement of blood is more there, he said.
Baniya thanked the south district administration for providing permission to vehicles for transporting the donors. He also thanked all the blood donors for their support in this time of emergency.
Voluntary Blood Donors Association of Sikkim has been working in the field of voluntary blood donation since 2008.
SSDMA HOLDS CONSULTATION WITH NGOS FOR SUPPORTING AUTHORITIES IN RELIEF & SENSITIZATION WORK
PANKAJ DHUNGEL
GANGTOK: The east district administration today notified ADC (development) Tenzing Denzongpa to coordinate with all registered NGOs for providing support and collaboration to the administration during the present coronavirus-induced lockdown.
The designated nodal officer is to identify areas for various NGOs and their area of functioning, as per the directives received from NITI Aayog.
A meeting was also held today between Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and Helping Hands, the umbrella organization for various NGOs at SSDMA Control Room.
The meeting was attended by State Relief Commissioner and Land Revenue & Disaster Management secretary P.N Sherpa, Protocol secretary Rinzing Chewang Bhutia, Panchayati Raj & Rural Development director Prabhakar Rai and SSDMA director Ganesh Chandra Khanal along with Helping Hands chairman Thukchuk Lachungpa, Sikkim Chemists Association president Ramesh Periwal and Sikkim Chamber of Commerce general secretary Kailash Agarwal, all of whom are members of District Task Force to combat COVID 19, currently.
“As per the directive from NITI Aayog, members from NGOs must be involved. There has been a similar directive from the State chief secretary who has urged the Block Divisional Officers (BDOs) to be the officer in contact for deliverance of essential commodities through the NGOs. There is a lot of confusion in the air with regards to the involvement of NGOs and Civil Defence who want to come forth and help but with the aforementioned notification, a lot of our work stands clear for aiding people during this hour. Yet, there are issues about social distancing to be maintained despite the urgency. There are stocks of relief materials coming through but deliverance is in confusion so we are taking them to the DCs and BDOs for ease of delivery”, stated Yangchen Tongden, member of Helping Hands.
State Relief Commissioner P.N. Sherpa spoke on the need for coordination between different departments to counter the various issues that arising over lockdown and coronavirus scare.
“In case of worst-case scenario, we will need the help of NGOs and civil defence hence this meeting is being convened. The NGOs must come through the district collector with him having access to complete data from the district as per the needs. Complete lockdown is imposed but essential commodities are being delivered as it is not a case of natural disaster like earthquake or landslides where the roads have been cut off. There is connectivity and supplies can happen. But weaker sections could face food scarcity, so relief is being provided if that need comes through and same has been intimated with the district and block level officials. If beneficiaries are identified, delivery can be done at their doorsteps and if it has to be devoted through one channel, then social distancing would still be managed,” he said.
Protocol secretary Rinzing Chewang Bhutia highlighted how there is no requirement on delivering food grains currently.
“”We have known of the aid materials coming but given the current scenario, food grains are not a necessity. If we buy in bulk right now, we may face shortage in the future. With regards to medical aids masks and sanitizers are already an issue with shortage but what the NGOs could help us in would be on spreading awareness at rural areas. There is no point in providing monetary aid through any NGOs or the government sector even to the migrant sectors as there is a chance of the same being misused. The Food & Civil Supplies department have stocked enough rations to see us through this lockdown period but they lack in manpower, hence BDOs are being involved for better management and delivery,” Bhutia said.
Helping Hands chairman Thukchuk Lachungpa mentioned that aids are coming through as food grains, medical necessities and even cash money. “Food grains and medical necessities can be sent to the officials but when we receive monetary aid, we have decided on transferring the same to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. A beneficiary list must be prepared by the officials along with daily wage earners and migrants even from the rural areas,” he said.
At the meeting, focus was also laid on how the NGOs could aid in counselling the rural populace and migrant workers on social distancing, the symptoms of coronavirus along with knowledge on breaking the chain. Taking example of the Spanish Flu and its effect on the mental psyche of the people, NGOs were also requested to aid in mental awareness and counselling in the current scenario.
CORONAVIRUS: OVERALL TALLY CROSSES 1600 MARK IN INDIA
New Delhi (IANS) The total tally of novel coronavirus cases in India crossed 1600 mark on Wednesday, said the health ministry.
The country has reported 1637 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, since the first case was reported on January 30 in Kerala’s Thrissur.
Of 1637, at least 1466 people are currently affected by the highly contagious COVID-19 disease, 132 people have recovered and discharged from the hospital while 38 people have lost their lives. One person migrated from the country.
Meanwhile, with one more death and total 321 cases have been reported in Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh has reported 103 cases of Novel coronavirus. Eight new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Gujarat on Wednesday, all of them in state’s financial capital Ahmedabad. Till now, 82 active positive cases are present in Gujarat, with six deaths due to corona outbreak. Fortunately, no new coronavirus positive case has been reported on Wednesday till 9 a.m from Rajasthan, state health officials said. Total tally stands at 93 though.
On Tuesday, some places were identified as hotspots across the country. These are Dilshad Garden and Nizamuddin in Delhi, Noida and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Bhilwara in Rajasthan, Ahmedabad, Kasargod and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, Mumbai and Pune. The identification of cases at these places will help ramp up the testing process.sikkimexprexx/from
