BJP blames Govt for Covid-19 spike
The sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in Chhattisgarh reflects community spread, BJP leader Dharamal Lal Kaushik said on Sunday, and accused Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel of not taking effective steps to control the pandemic.
Addressing the media via videoconferencing, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly said the number of Covid positive cases was below 500 in June but touched 7,087 by July 25.
Citing Raipur, he said the capital city on July 25 reported 1,155 active cases against a total 1,110 available beds.
After waiting for 24 hours, patients are forced to take private vehicles to reach hospitals for treatment. Then they have to wait for a bed. This is indirectly increasing the risk factor, he added.
On testing, he said: “Even the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) labs at Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur and Surguja have not been opened till date. Due to lack of kits, doctors and nursing staff are becoming Covid positive.”
“Against 10 lakh people, only 2,288 average tests are being done a day. The state government says 7 lakh migrant workers returned from other states. With maximum positive cases reported among them, no testing has been done,” said Kaushik.
He urged the people not to rely on state facilities but instead follow the Covid protocol — wear masks, wash hands regularly, not to venture out except in an emergency and follow social distancing. They can take advice from ayurvedic doctors to increase immunity, he said.
He blamed the state government for sale of liquor in outer areas of the containment zones and demanded a rebate on medical treatment cost to the poor in private hospitals.
