Joykisan demands House session

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 15: Manipur is facing a very unfortunate and an alarming situation with hospitals facing shortage of medical oxygen amid the second wave of COVID-19, said MLA Joykisan.
In an 8-minute long audio recording, he said the State Government should convene a one day emergency Assembly Session to revamp efforts to curb surging cases of Covid and deaths due to shortage of oxygen. The session may be held following Covid SOPs and it would “only discuss Covid and nothing else”.
Even as Chief Minister N Biren Singh is making efforts, many of the hospitals are facing shortage of medical oxygen. On the ground, RIMS and JNIMS, two of the largest hospitals in the State, are facing “oxygen shortage”, he said.
“Due to oxygen shortage, Raj Medicity has suspended admission of Covid and non-Covid patients. When we enquired about health of Covid patients at RIMS and JNIMS, the institutions said they are facing shortage of oxygen,” Joykisan said.
Besides the Government efforts to augment and increase the stock of medical oxygen, it is high time for the MLAs to come together and solve the crisis. Each of the MLAs may contribute Rs 20 lakh from their Local Area Development Funds to buy oxygen, he said.
“The Local Area Development is meant for the people and this should be utilised to help the people in this trying times of the pandemic. Let all the MLAs contribute Rs 20 lakh from the fund and use the money to buy oxygen,” Joykisan said.
If each MLA contributes Rs 20 lakh from the funds, a total amount of Rs 12 crore would be available to buy oxygen. Buying medical oxygen for Rs 12 crore would save many lives, he said.
Further, to revamp the fight against Covid and encourage the frontline workers, they should be given incentives.
Money, earmarked in the budget 2021-2022 for foreign tours, study tours etc for MLAs may also be utilised to aid fight against Covid and provide incentives to the frontline work- ers including the police, he said.
“It is time, the MLAs as elected representatives of the people work together and put in collective efforts. Let’s show the people that we are here of them,” Joykisan said.
He also suggested that the Government or the elected Members may arrange and provide food for free to Covid patients in hospitals considering the inconveniences their family members face in delivering the food.
Family members delivering food to patients in hospitals amid the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic is a big problem and a matter of concern.
Joykisan pointed out that such family members would also be coming out of the containment zones to deliver the food to the Covid patients. He said each member of the Council of Minis- ters or MLAs may oversee and take responsibility for arranging food for Covid patients in their designated areas.
In the audio recording, Joykisan also condoled the demise of  BJP Manipur unit president S Tikendra and former Chairperson of Manipur State Social Welfare Advisory Board, S Satyabhama.
Their deaths are a big loss for Manipur, he said and shared the grief and pain of the bereaved family members.