State Health Minister tours Upper Assam to take stock of COVID-19 preparedness

Assam Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will tour the Upper Assam districts for three days, taking stock of the ground situation as the state fights COVID-19. The minister who visited Sonitpur and Lakhimpur on Thursday visited Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh.

Amid the ongoing pandemic, Assam has developed several projects related to the health department. The minister inaugurated the Day Care Cancer Centre along with an NCD Kiosk- Swasth Assam at Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh today.

"Today I am visiting Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Charaideo districts. I have reviewed the works related to COVID19 in Dibrugarh district and observed that it is going on satisfactorily," Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

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Highlighting that many people from the state are yet to return, he said, "There are around 15000 people of Dibrugarh district alone who are staying outside the state. Till date around 3000 have returned and we expect another 4500 to return. We have discussed the arrangements for their quarantine and stay. It is good to know that most of the returnees have followed  home and institutional quarantine protocols," he said. 

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He also added that the state government is exploring options to provide one-time assistance of Rs 6000 to those who have not received Rs 2,000 per month from Assam Care.The health minister further said that the state government is constructing a Level 3 cancer hospital in association with Tata Trust under Assam Cancer Care Foundation at Assam Medical College. The construction work is going on, but it is delayed for some time due to the present situation.

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"Because of the delay, we have inaugurated an Onco Care Centre to provide Radiation and Chemotherapy on a priority basis. We have recruited a 50-member team including a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, nurses and other staff to start the service. From today onwards, chemotherapy services will be provided in this centre. From September 2020, the radiation facility will also be started. A Well Being Screening Centre for cancer patients has also been inaugurated today at the OPD campus of Assam Medical College today," he said.

Dr Sarma who also has various other departments in his portfolio had a review meeting with senior Health, PWD, Education department officials on COVID situation.

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