Coronavirus: Assam govt sets up separate isolation wards in medical colleges, 741 people quarantined
Guwahati/IBNS: Amidst the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in several countries in the world including India, the Assam government has closely monitored the international bordering areas of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal and directed all districts' administration, health officials to keep alert to deal with any situation.
The Assam government has separately set up isolation wards in six medical colleges with 48 beds and two beds in each district hospitals in the state.
On March 6, Bhutan Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that one positive case COVID-19 found in the country and said that, one case of COVID-19 was confirmed at 11 pm on March 5 and the result was validated at 12-30 am on March 6.
According to the report, the patient is a 76-year-old from United States of America and he had entered Bhutan from Paro International Airport, after embarking Drukair flight KB241 from Guwahati in Assam on March 2.
The US tourist had spent also spent few days in Assam and took a 7-day Brahmaputra river cruise before leaving to Bhutan.
Following the incident, the Assam government has quarantined 741 persons.
Assam minister of state for health Pijush Hazarika said that – “We have tested nine among the 741 persons and they were found negative. No positive COVID-19 case has found in the state so far.”
“We are very serious about the matter and taken all preventive measures across the state. We have arranged 48 beds in isolation wards in six medical colleges and at least two beds in each district hospital,” Hazarika said.
The Assam minister also said that, the state government has already appealed the people of the state to avoid mass gathering.
“We have deployed medical teams in all the airports of the state and screening process are going on. Till now, as many as 740 passengers have been screened in six airports of the state and some people are quarantined,” Hazarika said.
The Assam minister further said that, the state government has taken preventive measures in all the land ports bordering with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and deployed medical teams in the areas and screened all people coming from the neighbouring countries.
“We are also trying to involve the panchayat level representatives to hold awareness programmes in the all rural and urban areas. We have formed teams at village level by involving about 44,000 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Anganwadi Worker (AWW) who would visit all households and inform people about the preventive measures,” Pijush Hazarika said.
The Assam minister also said that, the state government is going to issue an advisory notice to all colleges, schools of the state not to take any excursion with the students within the state or outside the state.
He said that the state government has not taken any decision so far to close the international border with Bangladesh, Bhutan.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
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