SHILLONG, May 13: The state government has decided to set up community isolation centres in every district and at the community level depending on the situation and requirement.
“The community isolation centres will cater to those asymptomatic cases or A and B categories of positive cases. We know that such cases can be isolated in these centres since they do not require any kind of treatment,” Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong told reporters after a review meeting on Thursday.
The decision was taken in order not to put the hospitals in the state under unnecessary pressure, he said.
He also said the government has authorised the respective deputy commissioners – in consultation with the BDO and Dorbar Shnong concerned – to immediately take steps to start these community isolation centres.
“We have taken this decision to help the COVID-19 patients who require space to isolate themselves. The state government will provide whatever assistance is required to set up these centres,” Tynsong said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government would provide a Health Department team for these centres as wells as oxygen concentrators if the situation demands.
He urged the localities and villages to work together to fight the virus. He appealed specifically to the Synjuk ki Khlieh Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri Hynniewtrep, Daloi, Nokma, Rangbah Shnong and the executive committee of the Dorbar Shnong.
Tynsong further said the government held the review meeting in view of the confusion surrounding the cremation or disposal of the bodies of people who died due to COVID-19.
“There have been a few cases where an organisation or group concerned had refused to handle the dead bodies. We saw they were scared to carry out the rituals followed during the normal times,” he said.
He pointed out that the protocols issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department for disposing of suspected or confirmed COVID bodies are already in place.
“You can perform the necessary rituals with full protection materials. We will provide a few PPEs to those families who lost their dear ones due to COVID-19 for the handling of dead bodies,” he added.
