NGO demands vaccination for residents of Chutodudhpatil as the hospital is used for Covid patients

Except for the Silchar Medical College & Hospital, SM Deb Civil Hospital and all the private hospitals of Silchar, only the Chhotodudhpatil Model Hospital under the Borkhola Vidha Sabha constituency happens to be the only rural hospital offering Covid treatment in the Cachar district. Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli herself went to the village and initiated the Covid ward there. However, about 30,000 residents of the region have not been vaccinated yet. People in the area are terrified to know that there are patients infected with the Coronavirus next to the house. And as they are deprived of vaccines till now, there is some resentment in the minds of the people towards the government and the administration.

Local social organizations and representatives of the elected Panchayat parties sent letters to everyone starting from the District Administration to the Chief Minister, but there has been no response yet. On Friday, Ranjit Sarkar, a representative of the Chhotodudhpatil Gaon Panchayat, told Barak Bulletin that the long-standing fear among the locals could one day turn into a protest.

He said, “People in our area are deprived of many facilities even though they live near the city. They go to the city and stand in a queue to register at the vaccination centres, which is not feasible now. There is also a lockdown imposed from noon, so it is almost impossible to go to Silchar to collect the vaccine and come back in time. But suddenly so many Corona patients have been kept here. We got to know through various interviews with other senior doctors, including the principal of the Silchar Medical College, that this year’s coronavirus is likely to be airborne. Our Honourable Prime Minister has shielded the lives of so many people in the country by running the world’s largest vaccination drive. About 30,000 people in our area, right next to the city, are still deprived of vaccines. Starting from the local social organizations like the Manab Kalyan Sangha to the elected regional Panchayat members, have all made requests to the administration and the government, but so far no response has been forthcoming. We request the District Administration and the Chief Minister of the state to pay some attention to this matter as soon as possible. ”

Recently, the locals sent a letter to the District Administration under the banner of Sarbangin Manab Kalyan Sangha. Their statement read, “Although this area is close to the city, there is no bridge over the river, hence the transportation system is very weak. In addition, many older people are living here for whom it is impossible to get vaccinated by going to Silchar. Recently, the District Administration has decided to keep the Corona patients in the Model hospital of the area. But if there’s a Covid positive case in the area, then the locals would have to be protected in advance, no one thought of it. We demand that a vaccine centre be opened in or near the Model Hospital and an adequate amount of vaccine should be provided keeping in mind the population of the area.”

The locals are also worried about issues like security so that the patients don’t escape the hospital and the availability of adequate treatment inside. Local Regional Panchayat Bikram Das said, “Every day new patients are coming here and the number of infected people undergoing Covid treatment is increasing. But the in-charge of the hospital is often absent. He comes once a week and sometimes that also doesn’t happen. There are doubts about the adequacy of the hospital services in this situation. If patients do not receive proper treatment and try to escape in frustration, who will take the responsibility then? We want the District Administration to look into the matter herself because she came to visit the hospital and decided to keep the corona patients here.”

With the increase in the number of Covid positive cases, the District Administration decided to keep patients in many healthcare centres including the Silchar Medical College & Hospital and the SM Dev Civil Hospital. Almost every day a new private or government hospital or health centre is being added to this list. However, in the areas where it is has been decided to keep the Covid patients, in many cases no vaccination centre has been set up in those areas. This is creating additional panic in the minds of the locals. As a result of this panic, the people of Chhotodudhpatil have approached the state government and the District Administration as well.