Can’t keep Covid-19 patients only in Kohima, Dimapur — NHAK official

Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 31 (EMN): The spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Nagaland has raised concern over the availability of beds at Covid-19 centres in Kohima district, according to an official from the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK).

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the managing director of NHAK, Dr. Thorusie Katiry, stated that the Ayush Hospital in Chedema, which was initially supposed to accommodate around 50 beds for Covid-19 patients, is now reportedly able to house only 20 beds.

“Only seven beds are left now,” he informed. However, the number of beds is still ‘controversial and not clear,’ he informed.

With more returnees from Chennai getting tested positive for the virus, he said that the designated Covid-19 centres in Kohima are “going to be saturated”.

“Our hospital also has only 67 beds and within no time, it will be filled up unless the government change the strategy,” he said.

Keeping in mind the continuous inflow of large number of returnees to the state, he expressed concern that “unless we share responsibility”, assigning only Kohima and Dimapur to cater to the needs of the patients “will create a big issue”.

He shared that the medical personnel are performing their duties diligently in spite of the threat posed by the deadly virus at the designated hospitals.

Katiry stated that that the healthcare workers are “morally high” despite the challenges.

“If we don’t do our job, nobody’s going to replace us. Even if we are going to die, we cannot shift our responsibility to others,” he said.

“We have to treat the patients because coronavirus is going to stay with us for a long time,” he said and added, “It (coronavirus) is not going to get away from us very soon.”

However, Katiry expressed sadness that some of the medical personnel are stigmatised as people are not allowing them to enter their localities.

He stated that as long as one adheres to all the rules of safety measures, the person is safe.

The managing director asserted that all the confirmed cases of Covid-19 so far are only from the Chennai returnees.

However, he said, “the good news is that there is no community transmission” till date in the state.

When queried about the health condition of the Covid-19 patients, Katiry shared that they are keeping well. “Most of them are below 30 years of age” and “their immunity and resistance power is good” that they are able to withstand the virus, he informed.

While the designated Covid-19 and quarantine centres are being saturated in Kohima and Dimapur, the decision of the government to further change its strategy to contain the spread of the virus will only be known after the cabinet meeting on Monday.