Coronavirus: Assam CM reviews meeting with health department, directs to take preventive measures
Guwahati/IBNS: Amid the deadly Coronavirus outbreak that has gripped several countries in the world including India, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday reviewed the preparedness and monitoring mechanism of the state health department to deal with Coronavirus in the state.
The Assam Chief Minister directed the state health department to form dedicated 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.
During the review meeting held at his conference room at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati, Sonowal directed the health department to take steps for sensitizing all government officials from state headquarter to panchayat level on the Coronavirus disease and precautionary measures needed to be taken.
He also asked the department to carry out extensive awareness activities among people of the State involving field level functionaries of the department.
Sonowal directed to impart training to staff of government and private health institutions.
The Assam Chief Minister stressed on implementing extensive awareness activities covering all panchayats, villages, towns and tea gardens within a week’s time.
Sonowal further asked the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) to press into service its mechanism in generating awareness among commuters on Coronavirus disease.
He urged Railways to collaborate with the health department in dealing with the same and called for coordination among all government departments in the awareness generation activities.
The state health department officials informed the Chief Minister that 100 percent screening of passengers of all international flights at Guwahati airport is being carried out along with regular screening at other airports in the state.
Isolation ward has been set up at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and places have been identified at all district hospitals for such wards.
The health department officials further informed that regular training is being imparted to health officials through IDSP Units in the districts.
The Assam government on Saturday sounded high alert across the state after the first case of deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) detected in Bhutan who visited Assam before leaving to Bhutan.
On Friday, Bhutan Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the report 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 the 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.
The state government has identified as many as 127 people who have come in contact with the US tourist and they are being quarantined.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
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