40 more ICU beds to be added to Silchar's SMCH by Sep 26, says Himanta Biswa Sarma

Silchar: Assam's health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today announced that 40 more Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds will be added to the Silchar Medical Collge next Saturday (September 26). These new additions are expected to add more teeth to the SMCH's ongoing battle against the COVID-19 virus which has already claimed more than 500 lives in Assam.

Taking to the micro-blogging platformTwitter, Sarma shared a view in which staff can be seen preparing the ICU facility in the Silchar medical institute, the chiefest of medical facilities in Cachar, where most of the COVID-19 positive cases are being admitted.

The video shared by Sarma shows a walkthrough of the medical facility's upcoming ICU quarter and the new beds, which could not have come at a better time.

It needs mention here that Cachar district -- of which Silchar town is the headquarter -- has been one of the worst affected in the state when it comes to COVID-19 cases. The COVID-19 has become "unstoppable" in the Barak Valley region because the level of awareness remains admittedly low.

Sources on the ground have revealed to The Sentinel Assam that the roads, streets, and markets in the Barak region remain crowded as usual and more than 60% of the people are seen without masks.

"There is nothing like social distancing. COVID protocol is being openly violated. There is no regular checkup by patients with high blood sugar, heart trouble, hypertension, and kidney ailments despite being highly prone to COVID-19. Many get admitted for treatment in a morbid state, which often turns critical. People are also careless to download the 'Aarogya Setu' App' in their smartphones to check their health status regularly," a source informed us.

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