SHILLONG, June 18: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s call to legislators to look in on the plight of healthcare workers (HCWs), working in COVID-19 ward wearing PPE kits, was answered rather disdainfully by Opposition Leader Mukul Sangma.
Reacting to the CM’s statement, Mukul said that he does not believe in playing to the gallery, while maintaining that what is practical is already before them.
“We have already been visiting. I don’t believe in playing to the gallery. What is practical is already before us; what is the information from ground zero is already before us. What are you going to see in the ward?” the Leader of the Opposition asked.
Conrad had earlier said that a visit to a Covid ward wearing PPE kit will enable one to understand better the challenges being faced by the healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses.
“You will see that the ICU is not operational, you will see that the ventilators received and distributed to the civil hospitals are not operational and they have not trained people. They are now imparting training, that means it is as bad as somebody is trying to close the stable door after the horse has bolted,” Mukul said.
The Congressman said that now it is a question of preparing for the third wave and making an attempt to salvage whatever is possible during the second wave.
Mukul said that he spoke to one of the medical superintendents after receiving an SOS call from a patient party only to learn that there was no ambulance.
Taking a jibe at the CM on ambulances with advance life saving support, he questioned, “Which ambulance did you buy? You didn’t do your homework before you decided to buy an ambulance?”
“It is not that they haven’t. They have ordered a number of ambulances but does this specification, particularly to those bought earlier, meets the requirement to save lives,” he asked.
