Tripura COVID-19 patients die attended, alleges ruling party MLA

Agartala: The former health minister and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sudip Roy Barman has alleged that due to massive loopholes, the department has failed to contain the novel coronavirus resulting in the increasing numbers of deaths in the state.

Addressing a press conference at Agartala Press Club, Barman said that the officials entrusted with the responsibility have failed to tackle with the situation, as a result people are dying untreated.

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“The authorities entrusted with the responsibility have failed to tackle the situation. We cannot let our people die untreated. The present health minister, who is also the chief minister of the state, should interact with the healthcare staff engaged with the service of COVID-19 positive patients,” Barman said.

The dissent MLA also alleged that the community transmission has started in the state and a number of people are unattended and not provided with healthcare due to lack of coordination in the administration.

Sudip Roy Barman was the health minister in the present BJP-IPFT government and was removed from the cabinet on June 1, soon after the Lok Sabha elections and his portfolio was held by the chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

Speaking further, Barman alleged that even after the death of a patient, the body remained unattended for three days and it was dumped in one corners of the hospital ward for three days. The relatives were also not informed by the hospital.

“The body of a patient was lying in one corner of the hospital even three days after his death. His daughter, knowing the fact after three days, managed to get a photograph with the help of the sweeper and later took out the body for cremation,” Barman added.

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He also challenged that all the documents and photographs are in his possession and anybody who challenges him he would show the documents to them.

“There is no liaison between the patient, doctors and patient parties. Only four senior doctors are attending the patients sincerely and no other doctors are serving the patients. When the situation is so grim and no system works there, young doctors should be transferred so that patients can be treated properly,” Barman said.

He also alleged that the hospitals have gone short of medicines for treatment of viral infections and the positive patients are being treated with anti-bacterial medicines.

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“Why doesn’t the government buy more anti-viral medicine? Why does the government start plasma therapy? These are my questions to the government,” Barman added.

He also expressed his concern over the surge in number of COVID-19 deaths in state and said that when Tripura is at par with the national positivity rate, the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) has three times higher rate than the national average, adding, “it can be estimated that at least 650 people would die in the capital city till December if the situation continues like this”.

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Barman also said that Tripura needs a full time health minister in a situation like this for proper coordination with the healthcare, staff, people and administration.

“When the chief minister is alone holding 28 departments, how would he manage the health department in such a situation. We need a health minister, who can dedicate his service for the people”, Barman added.

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