Mizoram decides to call retired doctors to fight Covid-19
AIZAWL | March 26, 2020:
Stepping up measures against Covid-19 after the first positive case was reported in the state on Wednesday, the Mizoram government decided to use the services of retired doctors and rope in private hospitals to fight novel coronavirus.
Facing a manpower crunch, the state government has collected details of retired doctors and prepared duty rosters, health departments principal director Dr F Lallianhlira said.
Health Minister Dr R Lalthangliana told reporters that the state government has formed a medical operation team with private hospitals to strengthen coordination and medical facility in the fight against the novel coronavirus.
He thanked owners of private hospitals for extending their help to the state government in its effort to contain the outbreak.
The Mizoram government has also urged its Assam and Tripura counterparts to stop the movement of people across the inter-state borders during the lockdown period.
Lalthangliana said he has called up Assam Chief Minister Sarbananada Sonowal and Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and requested them to maintain strict vigil along the inter-state borders.
The health minister also asked people of Mizoram currently staying in other parts of the country to remain where they are and not to enter the state.
He said the state government has made special arrangement to accommodate stranded passengers at Mizoram Houses in various cities across the country.
Lalthangliana also asked people not to panic after the state reported its first positive case on Wednesday.
A 50-year-old pastor of Mizoram, who recently returned from Amsterdam, was tested positive for COVID-19.
State nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma said 15 out 16 samples have tested negative for Covid-19.
Officials of the state health department said more than 60,500 people have been screened for the virus till Wednesday.
At least 191 people have been placed under home quarantine while four have been isolated in two hospitals so far, they said.
PTI
