No shortage of oxygen yet; random testing in Dimapur reveals high positivity rate

Our Reporter
Dimapur, May 3 (EMN): Even as healthcare facilities in several India states are said to be overwhelmed by the second of Covid-19, leading to shortage of medical oxygen and beds in hospitals, an official from the state’s department of Health and Family Welfare said that Nagaland is not facing such a situation as of now despite active cases touching 1584 on Monday.

The official told Eastern Mirror that the number of oxygen-supported beds and ICU bed was ‘slightly better in the state’.

“We have about 72 ICU beds with ventilators and about 191 oxygen-supported beds in government set-up (hospitals) in the state but the department is trying to improve the capacity and also trying to bring private hospitals under this if the need arises,” stated the source, adding that the three upcoming oxygen generation plants in Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung would come as a “big relief”.

It may be mentioned that the advisor for New and Renewable Energy, IT&C, Science and Technology, Mmhonlumo Kikon, had earlier told journalists a press conference that the state has 260 beds with oxygen support and 66 ICU beds.

In regard to random Covid testing in Dimapur, an official from the city’s medical team said that positivity rate was high for the samples taken at the Dimapur Airport but comparatively low for those collected on roadside.

However, the source didn’t reveal the exact positivity rate of random Covid testing conducted in Dimapur so far.