New Delhi, May 11: The Northeast will become the next hotspot of COVID-19 pandemic, a study by the University of Michigan has predicted.
The situation in Assam has turned critical. For the past seven days, it has been recording, on an average, over 4,700 cases every day. A model run by the University of Michigan said infections in Assam are possibly occurring as fast as any other place in the country.
Given the recent gatherings of people during Assam election campaign and the current alarming situation, experts fear an uncontrolled surge is on the horizon. This has rung the alarm bells in the rest of the Northeast since Assam is the gateway to the region.
Considering the overall situation, Assam’s largest government-run hospital – Gauhati Medical College and Hospital – has more than doubled its number of ICU beds (220). Health officials are building space for another 200 beds at the hospital’s parking lot.
The state is sending doctors, paramedics and medicines to these facilities. The private institute, Royal Global University on the city outskirts, has been converted into a 1,000-bed hospital.
There are 2,100 beds reserved at the government centres for COVID patients in Guwahati, with hundreds more planned. This is in addition to the existing 750 beds for patients at private hospitals across the state.
While infections have increased, vaccination rates have fallen in Assam and other states of the region after the Central government expanded its coverage to include all adults from May 1.
Worryingly, for the first time, the pandemic is spreading to the Himalayan villages affecting the tribals who had earlier remained unaffected. These areas lack healthcare facilities. The lack of awareness, resources and remoteness is complicating contact tracing.
Despite limited medical infrastructure and even more limited medical supplies, load-shedding in states like Meghalaya is a cause of concern since electricity is crucial for running oxygen supply.
Meanwhile, alarmed at the growing cases of COVID-19 in the second wave, Union Minister for DoNER, Jitendra Singh urged for community management of the pandemic by roping in the youth, civil societies, religious heads and women self-help groups of the Northeastern region to create awareness among the common man.
Singh was chairing a review meeting with chief secretaries, health secretaries, planning secretaries of Northeastern states and central government officers on COVID preparedness in the region.
Singh noted that almost all the states have flagged issues like shortage of oxygen, vaccines and essential drugs like Remdesivir. He assured them that he will personally take up these matters with the Union Health Minister.
Singh also instructed the NEC to gear up as a local resource agency by coordinating with all the states by setting up monitoring cells to keep a daily tab on pandemic related issues.
