Shillong, July 13: The Khasi Students Union (KSU) today has written to Meghalaya Health Mimister Mr A L Hek on the problems of the staff faces while performing their duties at NEIGRIHMS hospital.
The letter written by the KSU to Meghalaya Health Minister said that in view of the prevailing situation in the state of Meghalaya and Shillong in particular with regards to the outbreak of the COVID-19, would like to bring into your notice regarding the plight of the employees of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).
KSU mention that NEIGRIHMS is recognised by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as a nodal hospital for COVID-19 care centre. As such the hospital is entrusted with the testing and treatment of COVID-19 patients which is an arduous task. Almost all the COVID-19 related patients are being housed in this hospital which poses the threat of transmission of the disease to the hospital staff.
Currently the hospital is being able to provide quarantine facilities only to those high risk staffs whereas the moderate and low risk contact staffs are bereft of the above facility due to unavailability of accommodation in the hospital premises.
The moderate and low risk staffs thereby have no other alternative but to go back home from work. This in turn will put not only themselves and their families at risks but also to the general populace in their respective localities. Hence there is an imminent threat of community transmission if the above mentioned staffs are deprived of the necessary accommodations.
In this context, the KSU appeals to the state government to find means and measures to provide special accommodation to these COVID warriors who are putting relentless efforts to tackle this deadly pandemic on a daily basis.
The Union after seeing the successful initiative taken by the Government to engage various stakeholders such as the traditional heads and NGOs to combat this pandemic, would like to suggest that the government should once again invite the traditional heads and the NGOs to find an amicable solution to address the plight and the grievances of the above mentioned staffs.
The Union proposes that the Government along with the traditional heads can arrange for special accommodations to these NEIGRIHMS staffs for quarantine in different community centres, institutions, lodges, etc. such arrangements can be made in their respective localities or in areas adjacent to the vicinity of the hospital.Also transportation should be provided to the staffs to ferry them to and fro from their centres to their place of work.
In conclusion, the KSU fervently appeal to the State Government to kindly intervene in this matter at the earliest for the best interest of the hospital staffs and the state as a whole.
The Union also would like to express its gratitude to the various agencies dedicated to the fight against the Corona Pandemic and appeals to the Government to ensure that these staffs are not stigmatised by unscrupulous and unethical elements and if such cases occurred the Government should dealt with a firm hand, the letter was sign by general secretary of the KSU Mr Donald V. Thabah of the CEC.
