Manipur education minister Dr Thokchom Radheshyam held a meeting to assess the groundwork status and the preparedness for management of COVID-19 pandemic in Kakching and Thoubal districts.

The meeting held on Wednesday at the conference hall of the deputy commissioner’s office in Thoubal was attended by MLAs, K Meghachandra (Wangkhem), P Brojen (Wangjing Tentha), district nodal Officer T Ranjit Singh; deputy commissioner N Bandana Devi, superintendent of police Dr S Ibomcha Singh; chief medical officers Dr N Jayantakumar Singh and officials concerned.

Appreciating the dedication and efforts of the team of district administration, minister Dr Radheshyam who is also district in-charge of Thoubal and Kakching, sought for feasible suggestions and opinions to contain the rise in the cases in a better way and emphasized on the need to create mass awareness through all means to create awareness on COVID-19.

He also suggested engaging local religious leaders/local popular leaders to give a message on social distancing, wearing face masks in public and personal hygiene among others to effectively create awareness among the local public.

The ministerial team also visited Slopeland Public School; Khongjom to assess suitability for establishment of 200-300 bedded COVID Care Centre for better management of the COVID pandemic in the Thoubal district.

Later Dr Radheshyam visited Kakching district and held a meeting with the deputy commissioner Valentina Arambam, superintendent of police Victoria Yengkhom, chief medical officer Dr T Manihar Singh, and officials concerned.

Briefing the media, the minister said it is very unfortunate that there have been media reports regarding restrictions of the movement of people and patients of Thoubal district, and discriminating them because of the rise in the number of COVID positive cases in the district.

He said that a letter has been written to the minister of health of the State highlighting the unfortunate incident.

He said such incidents should not be repeated not only to the people of Thoubal district, but also to the people from other parts of the State.

He also appealed to the people to support and encourage the frontline workers, especially the health workers who are working hard to safeguard the people and not to dishearten them for carrying out their duty at this unprecedented time.

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