Reacting to a statement made by the Director of NEIGRIHMS that 97 per cent of COVID-19 patients are being referred by the private hospital to the health institute, the state government has now directed the Health department to review the issue of alleged shifting responsibility.
“We have directed the Health Department to have a review meeting with private hospitals, to make sure that they also take part in fighting Covid-19 and not shifting their responsibility to any other authorities,” said Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong.
NEIGRIHMS Director, Dr. P. Bhattacharya had raised the matter of private hospitals seemingly not doing much to fight against Covid-19 and is referring 97 per cent of the positive patients to NEIGRIHMS, which is overworked with the increasing flow of Covid-19 patients and as they are also attending to patients from other Northeastern states.
When asked about the effectiveness of the rapid antigen test, Tynsong said that as far as the antigen test is concerned, it is the prescribed norm of ICMR and guidelines by the Ministry of Health and ICMR. “Since they say it has to be in place, so the antigen test has to be done,” he said.
It may be mentioned that in sharp contrast to the decision of the State government making rapid antigen test mandatory at the entry points of the state, Bhattacharya had said on Tuesday that performing the test at the border was just a waste of resources.
NNN