Release of almost all corona patients by April 20: Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Two cured corona patients released

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Releasing two of the three recovered corona, positive patients, from the District Hospital at Sonapur on Wednesday, the State Health Department has expressed hopes of releasing almost all the COVID-19 patients of the State by April 20. This is the first such release of cured corona patients in the State.

Addressing the media here on Wednesday, a beaming State Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “We’ve released two corona patients – Jonab Ali and Nuruddin Ali— from the District Hospital at Sonapur. We hope to release three such patients tomorrow from the hospital in Goalpara. We had 31 patients with us. With the release of two, we’re left with 29 patients now. The two released are quite normal persons now. Nobody has anything to be afraid of them.”

“The last corona positive patient detected in the State is Rashida Khatun who is the wife of corona positive Jamati Rahimuddin of Bilasipara. Other corona patients in the State are stable. Our report card is quite good in the Prime Minister’s grading of corona patients. If the situation improves by April 20, we can have some relaxations. Government offices will resume operation with around 33 per cent employees after April 20. Besides, works of bridges and roads will also start in the State.

“The good news is that we have 1.5lakh PPE (personal protection equipment) kits, including 50,000 such kits that have arrived in the State directly from China this evening.

“Goods-laden trucks are allowed to enter Assam. Drivers and handymen are being thoroughly examined at Boxirhat and Srirampur Gate along the West Bengal boundary.

“The Meghalaya government has requested us to conduct the test of samples of people from the State for corona. We’ve agreed to it. We’re ready to extend whatever help Meghalaya seeks from us.”

On the people of Assam stranded outside the State, Sarma said, “Earlier it was thought that they would be brought back to the State in phases after the expiry of the first 21-day lockdown. Accordingly, we did give phone numbers. Around three lakh such people contacted us. Forms have been sent to around 2.57 lakh such people, and around 90,000 of them submitted their filed-in forms. We’ll see as to how they can be brought back to the State only after April 20.”

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