Our Reporter
Dimapur, June 30 (EMN): Minister for Health and Family Welfare, S Pangnyu Phom inaugurated a 50-bedded Covid ward with all the required equipment at District Hospital Dimapur on Wednesday.
The equipment was provided by Round Table India under Project One More Breath and the overall cost of the project was said to be INR 70 lakh. The project was an initiative of 41 Club India in association with Round Table India Trust and Indian Red Cross society (IRCS), Dimapur district branch.
Speaking at the event, Phom acknowledged the contributions in the fight against this pandemic. He said that he was overwhelmed by the work of the Round Table India, doing a “commendable job under the mission One More Breath initiated by Indian Red Cross Society Dimapur district by providing adequate and required medical equipment in bulk”.
“As we are here with Covid-19, battling and countering with all efforts and powers we have, we still have to go on fighting and shielding for the safety of our people. The assistance we received today will tremendously help the needy people on a larger scale, comfortably and resourcefully,” he said.
He also shared that the environment has become different and ‘we need to cope with it by way of self-disciplining and following laid down SOP’.
“We face numerous allegations and criticisms which are sometimes destructive and sometimes constructive from our common people, but we never put ourselves down and instead we are wakened and strengthened more by the voices people make. We always try to pick the constructive and put it into action for more progressive and achievements especially in the health sector,” he said.
“We make use of the destructive criticism as a supporting tool in making a holistic strategy especially in this crucial fight for which we assure people of the state that we will overcome this invisible health challenge sooner than later, so help us to help you in all endeavours,” he added.
He also asked the authority and the public to make use of the equipment as one’s own property by maintaining and keeping it clean and hygienic.
“Let us all unite, stand firm and work cohesively to make this Covid-19 battle a winning one by becoming an agent of change and an abiding citizen,” he added.
Ashok Agarwal, Project Co-ordinator, informed that 41 Club India and Round Table India aims to provide 3000 beds to hospitals across the country with required oxygen concentrators, along with equipment and accessories to provide immediate support with cost-effective solutions by leveraging their staff load of medical profession and transforming unused hospital ward space into fully functional care centres.
He further lauded all those who took part in the project for their generosity.
Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, Rajesh Soundararajan also said that “we have been able to control the pandemic to this extend” with the support and initiatives of the government and organisations.
He said that the number of cases is declining but it is not the time to be complacent.
‘We have to be ready for any eventuality, especially with the concern of the new variant of the virus,’ he added.