COVID19 control room set up at Bhandari near Nagaland-Assam border

Kohima: While district control rooms and a state control room have been set up to facilitate matters related to COVID-19 in Nagaland, Mmhonlumo Kikon, advisor, IT, science & technology, NRE, has set up a separate control room for Bhandari sub-division in Wokha district to respond to all COVID-19 emergency matters arising within the sub-division.

Taking to twitter, Kikon wrote: “I have created a control room in my constituency #Bhandari for all emergency purpose relating to #COVID2019! Kindly contact the following helpline numbers given”.

The tweet was attached along with contact nos of the nodal officer Selemla S Sangtam (EAC, Nodal Officer)- 96124235931, Dr Lawrence Lotha- 9612821411, Dr Chonbenthung Ezung -8729875831, Benrio Shitio- 8974574316, Jungithung Yanthan-7005880840, Wobamo Odyuo 9615265971, Kemerio Yanthan-8416007161. It also notified that an Isolation ward was set up at CHC Bhandari and a quarantine facility at 7NAP Hospital.

When contacted, Kikon said that this was a necessity as the Bhandari sub-division under Wokha district stretches from Dimapur (southwest) and Mokokchung (northeast) border encompassing the Assam-Nagaland border in Wokha. He said that there are two main roads which connect Assam with Wokha serving as lifeline for the town as it connects the district with Golaghat via Merapani road and Dimapur via Bokajan road.

“My constituency is one of the biggest constituencies in Nagaland and since most of it falls in the porous border with Assam, we had to take extra precaution. So we created this control room to tackle all emergency situations and to ensure that the government is available at all times to address matters relating to the COVID-19,” he said.

Due to the countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19, he said that the need to assess the preparedness along the inter-state border arises. While essential facilities are still required for the isolation centre and quarantine facility at Bhandari town, he said that necessary tools for conducting checks at Merapani and Ralan were provided.

While a thermal scanner was availed, Kikon arranged face masks and hand sanitisers besides other equipment for the community health centre at Bhandari. He also said that the village councils were supportive in initiating the social distancing approach.

“We are doing everything we can with full support from the state health and family welfare department whose officers and workers are working overtime to ensure that social distancing and other preventive measures are put in place in Nagaland,” he said.

“Like my colleagues, I will provide full support to the administration, police, medical personnel and all those who are on the frontline ensuring that people are not deprived of essential needs and urgent medical care. This is a collective effort of everyone,” Kikon added.