JAC seeks clarification from Nida and government

Our Reporter
Dimapur, July 8 (EMN): The joint action committee (JAC) for Covid-19 in Peren district has expressed resentment over the statements made by the Nagaland In-Service Doctors’ Association (Nida) and the government’s spokesperson for Covid-19, Mmhonlumo Kikon, in connection with the recent incident where returnees from Haryana were sent for home quarantine in Peren without conducting a second test, and has sought clarification.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the convener of JAC (Peren), Dr. Tumda Newme, said that Kikon had painted the JAC in a very negative way, solely blaming them for the June 23 incident.

“We may have so many failures, we accept that and returnees may also be indiscipline; we take role in disciplining them and controlling them,” Newme said.

Stating that civil societies, pastors, elders and parents in Peren have all been doing their best to contain and keep a vigil over the returnees, Newme felt that it was not the fault of the returnees for the June 23 incident.

“It was the fault of the two doctors to send the 96 returnees for home quarantine without retesting; they should not take that act to be the fault of the returnees,” reiterated Newme.

A total of 32 out of the 96 returnees were reportedly tested positive for Covid-19 later.

Kikon was earlier quoted as saying by Nagaland Post that the high rate of positive cases in Peren district indicated “not-so-satisfactory” adherence to quarantine norms and protocols by inmates at the quarantine centres. He added that the Peren district task force (DTF) had exercised abundant caution in quarantining the returnees for an additional 14 days at Jalukie quarantine centre and it was unfair to blame the authorities who were following the SOP.

Nida president Dr. Ritu Thurr was also quoted as saying that the “frontline workers and health officials did not commit any mistake or violated the SOP” and that Nida would initiate its own action if the community did not trust the doctors or if the state government did not take immediate appropriate action.

Responding to this, the JAC (Peren) issued a statement on Wednesday to clear the confusions. While giving an account of what happened on June 23, the committee claimed that the two alleged doctors admitted the mistake they committed the previous night and apologised in the meeting held on June 24.

“JAC on its part took up the responsibility as requested by the deputy commissioner (DC) to pacify the youths and not to insist on action against the two doctors at the moment as that will add more problems to the stressed manpower in the medical department,” the statement read.

“However, in spite of our assurance the two doctors absconded from duty and subsequently were transferred out as if rewarding them for the misdeed. As their contact history stood and possibly contaminated, the test results of 32 returnees out of 96 came out positive throwing every efforts of the district for containment,” it added.

The committee further informed that following the incident, six localities including some villages were made containment zones, and possibly many more villages and localities are in line if proper rapid response contact tracing activity is taken up as demanded by various organisations.

It stated that the district has been put under a precarious situation as the returnees were dropped directly to their homes in spite of JAC and the public insistences on community quarantine at village and ward facilities even after compulsory 14 days facility quarantine. “The timing of release late at night forced some returnees to be dropped directly to their home thus distributing the virus,” the press release stated.

The JAC has demanded Nida, Medical department and the government to clarify their doubts about the SOP frontline workers follow in the state; and if the SOP was for the safety of the citizens or the SOP for the convenience of work for the frontline workers. It stated that it was aware of the indiscipline by some returnees in quarantine centres but the inmates didn’t do anything wrong in the particular incident. “Nida may clarify to the people what is their ground for defense of the two doctors,” it stated.

“If the district administration feels everything is under control and the medical department claims of having adequate staffs and facilities per the newspaper reports, then why isn’t contact tracing and samples collection of primary and secondary contacts being done in Mhaikam, Beisumpuikam, Mpai, Kezanglo in spite of the contamination which took place in those particular places since the morning of June 24?” the JAC asked. 

It also requested “Nida, Medical department and the government to ascertain facts from the ground level before speaking out to the media and stop the cover-up exercises, but rather realistically do the containment activity on war footing at the earliest”. “JAC speaking up for the public cannot be misconstrued,” it added.

However, the JAC appreciated the response of the Medical department, “though late”, in sending a team from the directorate to assist the medical staff in the field, and the dedication of medical staffs in the district working tirelessly risking their lives for the safety of the district.