Dimapur, May 27 (EMN): The Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) has appealed to the Health department to come up with clear guidelines which are in consonance with burial practices, as the stigma of Covid-19, it observed, has led to several incidences of families not willing to perform burial of bodies of coronavirus patients fearing contamination, colonies, and villages denying burials in its jurisdiction.
AYO in a statement on Thursday said that the stigma of Covid-19 was preventing people with possible Covid symptoms from getting tested and seeking timely treatment “due to the fear of being scorned by the neighbours, community, etc.”
“The feedback from our medical community points out that there is a definite benefit of early treatment in Covid-19 and most of the recent casualties of Covid-19 have been due to late presentation to the hospital. Towards this end, it is urged that to raise awareness of the disease among the people and to prevent stigmatisation, helpline numbers, easy to use mobile applications and dedicated portals be created preferably in local dialects, wherein all the information regarding nearest testing facilities, safe and dignified burial practices, benefits of early treatment, etc. and all other necessary information can be collected,” read the statement.
It said that safe Covid appropriate behaviours, vaccination, and early treatment were the only tools we have against the virus.
It has also appealed to the state government to accelerate the vaccination drive with “transparency, give assurance to the people with regards to vaccine stock, oxygen supplies, medication supplies for Covid, and other emerging diseases associated with it like black fungus infection, etc.”
“The second wave has not just brought with it a huge rise in the number of cases and deaths, but it also brought economic hardships and social anxiety with a significant segment of the society dreading an uncertain unprecedented future. We urge the government to put in place sound policies and solutions at the earliest so that livelihoods are not threatened, while the future of students is also not compromised because of perpetual lockdown,” it read.
Furthermore, AYO has appealed to the business community not to sell essential commodities at exorbitant rates.
“We should take note that the imposition of the lockdown has affected the entire population and not one particular section of the community. Likewise, this is the hour where every section of the society should come together and contribute as a team, keeping in mind the larger interest of the majority,” it added.
