Sampat urges govt to ramp up medical infra ahead of 3rd Covid wave

Tribune News Service

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Hisar, December 27

Former Haryana Minister Sampat Singh today asked the ruling dispensation to immediately ramp up medical infrastructure in government hospitals to combat the impending third Covid-19 wave due to spread of the Omicron variant.

In a statement here Sampat said, “The government should arrange for adequate medical and paramedical staff in all government medical facilities in the rural as well as urban areas.”

“Most hospitals and assorted health centres lack ample staff and equipment including medicines,” Sampat added.

“The government should allocate special budget to the Health Department to prepare for facing the third pandemic wave. No posts should be left vacant and all arrangements should be made to meet any eventuality,” said Sampat.

Recalling the situation during the first two waves Sampat said the government was caught on the wrong foot as it failed to create adequate infrastructure in time. The state faced an acute shortage of beds, ICUs, medicines and oxygen supplies, Sampat added. Doctors and paramedics were hurriedly transferred from rural health centres to cities leaving the rural population to fend for itself, said Sampat. This should not be repeated, said Sampat.

People had to run from pillar to post to arrange medicines and oxygen supplies and thousands of patients died due to lack of essential commodities, Sampat added. It led to a horrible situation, which could have been easily avoided by planning and adequate preparation, said Sampat.

“The government has wasted crores to set up temporary hospitals in Hisar and Panipat, which failed to provide relief as these lack qualified doctors and other essential infrastructure. These funds could have been better utilised by strengthening existing infrastructure in government institutions,” Sampat added.

Shifting doctors and other staff from villages to cities during the second wave led to thousands of deaths, said Sampat. “The government has failed to identify families of the deceased despite orders by courts. As a result they continue to suffer financially due to death of their earning members,” Sampat added.

“The government has to complete all formalities at the earliest to provide them relief. Rural people and children need special attention to protect them from the latest virus variant,” said Sampat.