Amid the shortage of hospitals in Aizawl, two local Presbyterian churches and a Young Mizo Association (YMA) branch have come to the help of the government in offering their halls to be used as COVID-19 care centres (CCC) where the infected people will be treated.
Ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator and state health and family welfare board vice chairman ZR Thiamsanga said that Tuikhuahtlang and Venghnuai Presbyterian churches have offered their halls to be used as CCC at a time when the government is facing a shortage of facilities.
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Apart from them, Electric Veng YMA branch has also donated their hall to be used as CCC, he said.
Thiamsanga, who is also the chairman of the medical operational team on Covid-19 said that he inspected the halls along with other officials on Sunday.
“The church leaders, community leaders and the people as a whole are very open-hearted to help the government. They set a good example in helping the government in time of needs,” he said.
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The leader said that they have urged churches through a church committee- Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC) to offer their halls as Covid-19 Care Centres as the government was facing facility crunch especially in Aizawl.
MKHC is a conglomerate of 15 major churches in the state.
“Though the government has adequate CCC to meet urgent requirements, it will face a big problem if the number of COVID-19 patients increases,” he said.
He said that Mizoram has only one dedicated Covid-19 hospital- Zoram Medical College (ZMC) where patients with Covid-19 symptoms and co-morbidities are being treated.
According to Thiamsanga, asymptomatic patients are mainly treated at Covid-19 Care Centres.
He said that at least 14 COVID-19 patients are currently undergoing treatment at Venghnuail church hall and local level task force provided them food.
Meanwhile, an official of the state health department said that the government has identified at least 33 Covid-19 Care Centres to accommodate over 1500 inmates.
Of the 33 CCCs, 16 are in Aizawl district, 3 each in Lunglei and Serchhip districts, 2 each in Kolasib, Lawngtali and Mamit districts and 1 each in Siaha, Champhai, Khawzawl, Hnahthial and Saitual districts, he said.
Apart from these, the government has also 6 Covid-19 Care Centres to treat about 300 security personnel.
He said that the government requires Covid-19 Care Centres to accommodate at least 2500 patients.
Nearly 500 patients are currently undergoing treatment at CCCs, he said.
In Mizoram, churches and NGOs have always been helping hands for the government.
When the government faced a shortage of quarantine facilities following the mass return of stranded people from outside the state in March, many churches offered their halls to be used as quarantine facilities.
According to officials, so far, 194 churches have offered their halls to be used as quarantine facilities.
There are 584 active Covid-19 patients in Mizoram while a total of 830 people have already recovered.
Of the 584 active patients, 80 are among BSF jawans, 14 Assam Rifles personnel, 15 Indian Army personnel, 1 CRPF jawans, 18 BRTF/BRO staffers, 95 truck drivers and the remaining 361 are civilians, according to officials.