West Siang deputy commissioner Swetika Sachan on Saturday formally launched “Masks for West Siang”, a mask distribution campaign, initiated by the West Siang unit of Arunachal Pradesh Doctors’ Association.
The campaign was launched at the general hospital premises in Aalo.
Addressing a gathering, Sachan said the state government is playing a proactive role in controlling the COVID-19 disease in the state and asked all not take any casual approach towards the directives issued by the government.
“Advisory on compulsory use of masks will be issued soon and awareness against random spitting on the ground is essential to do away contamination,” she said.
The district medical officer and also president of APDA, Dr Moli Riba said the hospital would try to provide masks to all patients and try to reach out to all in the days to come.
Highlighting the importance and proper way of applying the mask in detail, DSO Dr Jombom Kato emphasized on making use of wearing masks in a public place as a habit.
“Similar practice is followed in many developed counties of the world,” he said while adding that the donated homemade masks should be routed through medical department so that the masks are sterilized before use.
APDA general secretary Dr Olen Tatak expressed his gratitude to all the philanthropists involved in supporting the doctors through voluntary donations in the form of cash and kind and homemade masks to the hospitals.
Aalo Town Welfare and Development Society chairman Kento Ete handed over Rs 30,000 to the medical department on the occasion in his society’s bid to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking on the occasion, Ete said the present days are testing times for everyone and appealed all the NGOs of the district to come forward and lend their helping hand.
Mothers’ Vision, a renowned NGO of the district, donated 50 masks and 10 sanitizers to the police station and another 50 masks and 20 liquid handwash bottles to the de-addiction-cum-rehabilitation centre on the day.