New Delhi: Governments are trying to “manage the perception” about coronavirus infections and give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, asserting that it is important to accept the problem and fight it.
On Doctor’s Day, he expressed solidarity with health workers and described them as “a nonviolent army” risking their lives to save people from the coronavirus pandemic.
He was in conversation with four Indian nurses working in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India and heard their experiences and said people stood with them in these times of crisis.
Gandhi, in his 30-minute conversation with Anu Ragnat (working in New Zealand), Narendra Singh (Australia), Sherlymol Puravady (the UK), and Vipin Krishnan (working in AIIMS, Delhi) — discussed the impact of working in a Covid-19 environment on their family lives.
He asked them how their families were coping with the fear of being infected as they were dealing with Covid patients and how the governments were treating them.
This was part of the series of conversations the former Congress president is having on coronavirus. He has earlier talked to experts in the field. Gandhi claimed testing is not being allowed in many Delhi hospitals. He gave an assurance he will write a letter to authorities concerned to expedite grant of compensation to healthcare workers, as announced by the Delhi government to those who died due to Covid-19. “One of the doctors of a private hospital I was speaking to was telling me it becomes impossible for them to work if they cannot test Covid patients. If they don't know if he has Covid or not, they don't know where to put him,” he said.
"The governments are trying to manage the perception, they are trying to give a sense that the problem is not as bad as it is. But I believe that we have to face the problem, so we should accept the problem, define the problem accurately and then fight the problem," said Rahul.
Plasma bank to come up in Guwahati
Guwahati: Assam government has decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days, said state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday. "We have decided to set up a plasma bank in Guwahati in the next four-five days. We have already installed a plasma separator at Guwahati Medical College. I think by next week we will be able to start plasma treatment," he said at a press conference here. The minister said that the government will launch the new testing model named COVID-19 AG test in the next two-three days. "Yesterday Union Home Minister Amit Shah called me up. As per Indian Govt's assessment, the COVID-19 situation in Guwahati is not very good. Following his meeting with DG ICMR, Home Minister has directed me to change the testing pattern," Sarma said. —Agencies
