Error of judgment; no threat to community — Mmhonlumo Kikon

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 4 (EMN): Nagaland government has admitted that there was an “error of judgment” made by a frontline worker on the ground in Dimapur, in regard to sending a Covid-19 positive person to Jalukie in Peren district without confirming the result of the person’s sample.

Nagaland spokesperson for Covid-19, Mmhonlumo Kikon, on Thursday said that “an error of judgment of one frontline worker led to this incident”.

Upon identifying the error, “immediate action was taken” and the medical department immediately asked for an explanation from the chief medical officer of Dimapur, he said, adding that a report was promptly made available.

It was followed by ‘immediate containment, contact tracing and attempt to ensure that community spread does not happen’, Kikon said.

The objective was that “this error of judgment” does not spread to the community and threaten the lives of the co-travellers, he pointed out.

“We are happy to say that at least there is no threat to the community, there is no threat to anyone because of this, because the government has been able to put our systems in place,” Kikon said.

On whether a separate inquiry committee will be initiated to probe the case, he said that there was no need as the case is “very clear already”.

‘Actions were taken and CMO Dimapur has been asked to provide explanation, to which he did. Further, the responsibility is fixed on who made the error of judgment. Therefore, disciplinary action to that nature has been taken,’ he added.

According to Kikon, the only similarity between the case of Tuensang and Jalukie was that “the positive case, because of certain issues, was sent along with the negative cases to Jalukie. But there the similarity ends”.

On being asked whether the incident had breached the revised standard operating protocols issued by Home department on June 1, he said that “there is a violation”.

“The concern was not the error committed alone. The concern was to ensure that there is no community spread, there is containment of the case in Jalukie itself,” the advisor added.

Principal Director for Health and Family Welfare Dr. Vizolie Z Suokhrie admitted that there was “some confusion” on Thursday morning, and immediately actions were taken. The patient has been isolated in the Covid ward at Jalukie, he said.

He also said that they have “almost completed” the contact tracing and all those who were in contact radar have been placed under containment.

“We are clear about what had been done,” Suokhrie added.

Out of 80 positive cases, 57 are in Dimapur, one in Peren, 17 in Kohima (NHAK-4 and Chedema-13), and five in Tuensang.

The principal director added that all 80 of them are stable, with 64 asymptomatic and 16 mild cases. The positive cases fall under the category of 18-34 years and none of them are having any severe or moderate issues.

Extra care to prevent community spread

In other places, these cases are supposed to be kept in home isolation and all 80 of them are “fit to be in home isolation” but Nagaland government is taking “extra care” towards them to contain community transmission, he pointed out.

‘Neither ICU service and oxygen nor special medication is required for them. The most important thing is psychological and mental therapy with nutrition,’ Suokhrie added.

As for the report involving a migrant worker who was tested Covid-19 positive in Assam after travelling from Dimapur, the principal director clarified that the person had approached the Health department for clearance to go to Assam. Subsequently, the department issued the clearance on May 13.

The person then left for Assam and on May 28, tested positive for Covid-19. Therefore, “it could be possible that he contracted the infection from Assam only”.

Further, there is no community spread in Nagaland and “we are cleared”, the principal director added.