WHY ECONOMIC RELIEF PACKAGE HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED? SDF QUESTIONS
Medical preparedness ‘zero’ at border checkposts for people returning to Sikkim after lockdown: MK Subba
Staff Reporter
GANGTOK: SDF chief spokesperson M.K. Subba on Sunday claimed that the medical preparedness at Rangpo and Melli checkposts is ‘zero’ to properly screen the Sikkimese returning home from other States after lockdown is lifted.
Speaking to media here, the SDF chief spokesperson mentioned that around 5,000 Sikkimese including students and patients are presently stranded in other States due to the lockdown since March 25.
The ongoing national lockdown is till May 3, though a final decision could depend on the outcome of the video conferencing of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers on Monday.
Subba said he had been following the statements given by the Health department and administration regarding the measures being planned to bring back the stranded people of Sikkim. He also pointed to a Covid-19 booth installed at Rangpo checkpost on Saturday and dismissed its capability to properly screen people for Covid-19 as it is not a RTPCR testing booth.
“The number of Sikkimese returning home (after the lockdown is lifted) may be 5,000 and they will enter Sikkim through Rangpo and Melli checkposts. They must be screened and blood testing should be done but from whatever I have heard or read, it is not clear how the State government is going to do it,” said Subba. He mentioned that the Centre has already rejected the effectiveness of the rapid testing kits procured by different States including Sikkim.
“There are other alternative testing methods but nobody from the State government is talking about them. A huge number of people will be returning home but I feel that the arrangements at Rangpo and Melli are zero, especially medically. We have already said that the government should form an expert medical committee but it was not done and hence, things are moving at a slow pace,” said Subba.
Subba maintained that people of Sikkim should be brought back home after lockdown but to do it in a ‘safe’ manner is the responsibility of the State government.
“Of course, our people should be brought back home but to do it in a safe manner is the responsibility of the government. Sikkim has no facility for testing. So, what and how the tests would be done by the government? Where they will be quarantined? This is not clear. The present arrangements are very weak. We still have time of 8 days and in this period, the State government should make proper arrangements to bring our people back safely and also ensure the safety of persons whom they will be in contact once they enter Sikkim,” said the SDF spokesperson.
Subba stressed that such difficulties would not have arisen had the State government managed to set up a Covid-19 testing lab within Sikkim.
“More than one month of the lockdown has passed by and yet Sikkim does not have its own testing lab. We have been regularly saying that there should be a Covid-19 testing lab within Sikkim. Till now, the Sikkim government has not communicated with the ICMR for setting up a testing lab in the State and so far, only a sample collecting centre has been announced. This is a serious matter, the Sikkim government must issue a white paper on its communication with the Centre regarding a testing lab in the State and make public as to who were approached and what response was given,” demanded Subba.
The SDF spokesperson said the lockdown has proved that Sikkim must remain prepared for all types of situation and strengthen its medical infrastructure.
“It is true that there is zero coronavirus positive case in Sikkim but the test percentage is abysmally low. Not more than a hundred persons have been tested in the State so far. If we go by the population, 0.01% only have been tested and it is the lowest in India. Hence, we must not be complacent,” said Subba. He pointed out that 80% Covid-19 cases in India are asymptomatic as per ICMR and asked how the Sikkim government plans to address this huge concern.
The SDF spokesperson also demanded the State government to come up with an economic relief package for those self-employed persons and daily wage earners who have been hit hard by the lockdown.
“The Sikkim government has not announced economic relief at this pandemic time. A relief fund has to be announced as per the rules under disaster management Act. This is the law but so far we have seen only funds being collected under Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.”
Subba said the Centre has been sending relief funds to every State including Sikkim while the financial institutions have encouraged borrowings by the State governments at nominal interest. Then why no economic relief package has been announced for the affected people of Sikkim?, he questioned.
“Most importantly, the Covid-19 warriors should be taken care of. It is surprising that the Sikkim government has announced an incentive of Rs. 3000 only for the frontline workers. The amount is an insult to them considering they have put their lives at risk to protect the people of Sikkim. We demand that the State government should double the salary of our Covid-19 warriors and their life insurance should be Rs. 1 crore each,” said the SDF spokesperson.sikkimexpress/from,india
