DoNER Minister holds urgent meet with Health Secretaries of NE States

May 26, 2021 44 Views No Comment

• Expresses concern over COVID-19 surge in the region
• Calls for strict containment and confidence building measures

New Delhi, May 26 (MExN): The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh on May 25, convened an urgent meeting of Health Secretaries of all North Eastern (NE) States to review COVID preparedness in the region.

During the meeting, the Minister expressed concern over the reports in some sections of media that NE region may become the next COVID hotspot, informed an official release from the DoNER Ministry.

Noting that during the 1st phase, all the 8 NE States managed COVID-19 “very effectively and the entire region emerged as a model of Corona management in the entire country,” Singh expressed concern that the second phase is taking a “huge toll in the region” in comparison.

Calling the situation “worrisome” Singh, who is also the MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, informed that he is in constant touch with all the eight NE Chief Ministers and whatever help is “sought from the States is being promptly provided from the Centre.

The Minister also noted that the “immediate resolve should be to find ways and means of ensuring” that the rising graph of cases in different NE States “starts declining or immediately shows the flattening of the Curve.”

He also shared with the attendees the projections on May 25 showing “rising trend of positive cases in States like Tripura and Meghalaya, and also identified certain specific districts in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh which were showing a much higher affliction comparatively.”

In this regard, the Minister advised for strict enforcement measures and extensive testing and contact tracing measures, the release said.

“All measures should be taken for observing COVID-appropriate behaviour and management of micro containment zones, wherever it becomes necessary,” he added.

‘Centre will supply enough vaccines to NE’

Meanwhile, Singh informed the meeting that in the coming weeks, the Centre will supply enough vaccines for all the North Eastern States and a schedule for the same is being given final touches in the Union Health Ministry.

He further directed the NE States to send COVID and Health related proposals on a priority basis and promised for speedy disposal of such proposals at the Centre.

The Ministry of DoNER has convened a meeting on June 2 for acting on the proposals sent by the States, but so far only four States have sent such proposals, he noted, and directed the other States to firm up their request on an urgent basis.

All proposals related to hospitals, oxygen plants, mobile testing vans and those related to fighting the pandemic would be accorded highest priority, he assured.

Singh further informed that that he is taking daily updates from all the 8 NE States about the prevalence of COVID and necessary health facilities and infrastructure to fight the pandemic in an effective manner.

He expressed satisfaction that all the North Eastern States have sufficient bed capacities and oxygen stock, the release said.

The meeting was attended by Health Secretaries of all the eight Northeastern States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland as well as Union Secretary Ministry of North East, Secretary North Eastern Council and Joint Secretary In-charge Northeast in the Ministry of Health.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/doner-minister-holds-urgent-meet-with-health-secretaries-of-ne-states