As Covid grips Balachaur, an MLA comes to rescue

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, May 14

Since May 1, Balachaur block has shown a maximum number of cases in Nawanshahr. Fourteen days have passed, and the block residents continue to contract the virus. There are nine blocks in Nawanshahr, Urban Nawanshahr, Urban Rahon, Urban Banga, Sujjon, Muzaffarpur, Mukandpur, Balachaur and Saroya. Of all, Balachaur is reporting the highest Covid cases.

On Friday, a 32-year-old man from Balachaur succumbed to the virus and on Thursday, a 65-year-old man died. As many as 383 cases have been reported from the block. The virus has spilled onto the villages too. At Surapur village, 17 persons have been infected and this has troubled the officials and MLA Balachaur.

Seeing the circumstances bending wickedly, MLA Darshan Lal Mangupur started an initiative today where distributed a special medical kit for those needy patients who are self-isolating. He has named the kit as ‘angraskshak’ which contains a pulse oximeter, digital thermometer, a three-layered mask, essential medicines, tulsi leaves, etc. The kits are being given so that the patients’ health doesn’t turn serious and could be saved before that happens.

Also, a helpline number 72932-00088 has been released where the patients could reach for help. He said that being an MLA of the block, he is there for the residents. “I have started this initiative for those who cannot afford costly treatment. The idea is to control the spread of the virus,” he said. The MLA added that the reports from villages regarding rising cases is troublesome and worrying at this point. “Once spread in the villages, it will become difficult to control the spread.”

Since the start of the pandemic, Darshan has been meeting people and visiting almost every village. “I make sure that people don’t gather around when I meet them. But at the same time, I have to listen to everybody’s problems,” he told.