SHILLONG: Facing the heat from opposition Congress over alleged “mismanagement” of COVID-19 issues, Health Minister AL Hek has chosen not to confront but to deflect it by appealing the critics for desisting from hurling unwarranted criticism at a time when the state was grappling with the pandemic.
Responding to the Congress Spokesperson Zenith Sangma’s allegation that the COVID situation in the state had spiralled out of control, Hek felt that the criticisms at this time were unwarranted.
“My comment on this is very clear that this is not the time to criticise. It is a time to join hands together and work for the benefit of people to combat the spread of COVID-19. I request our friends from the opposition, maybe Zenith Sangma or other members of the opposition that this is not the time to criticise or find fault with others. It is a time to fight together,” he told The Shillong Times at the BJP party office here on Thursday.
He also said that suggestions to effectively tackle the spread of COVID-19 and to rectify any of the mistakes committed by the Health department are welcome.
On the allegations that business representatives from Assam enter Meghalaya despite a clampdown on interstate movement, Hek brushed aside the allegations asserting that people cannot be prevented from entering Secretariat after seeking necessary permission.
“Who is entering and who is not entering is not their lookout… our lookout is to check the safety and security of the people of our state and also the Secretariat. Who is coming for what…we cannot stop anybody from entering the Secretariat. But they have to come with due permission. That is all,” he said.
It may be mentioned that Sangma had questioned how people from outside the state were being permitted to enter the Secretariat for meeting ministers.
As for the criticism of lack of coordination between the state government
and the district authorities, Hek dismissed it by saying that there is there is no lack of coordination and they are working together to ensure smooth functioning at both levels.
On the formation of the promised committees of MLAs to head the COVID-19 teams at the constituency-level, Hek claimed that the committees had already been constituted in which the respective MLAs are the chairman of the constituencies concerned.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had informed that the government would be putting up committees at the constituency level to be headed by concerned MLAs empowering them to coordinate with the rest of the COVID management committees falling within their constituencies.
With the setting up of committees at the constituency level, there will be proper coordination between different COVID management committees and the district administration, block level and the department concerned.
Earlier, Sangma had also claimed that patients in Tura were hiring ambulances from Goalpara in Assam to come to Shillong for treatment to avoid being sent to quarantine on their return to Tura. To this, the Health Minister said that such an allegation has not come to his notice or to the department.
“If there is any specific information like this, they should bring it to the notice of the government”, he said.
