Agartala, Sept 5 (UNI) The ruling BJP MLA and former health minister of Tripura Sudip Roybarman has attributed the deteriorating Covid situation to the government's administrative failure inn Tripura, where 134 people have died so far and affected 13,816 people so far.
He warned that unless correct measures were not taken immediately, prediction says about 700 people would die only in Agartala city while in rural areas it would be more disastrous by next three months. The decisions of the government have not been implemented properly and there is a serious gap between top and bottom level that has worsened the situation, Roybarman observed.
Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has been holding the health portfolio along with 27 other major departments for the past one and half years.
' There is rift between bureaucrats and the doctors over Covid management which turned the situation hostile and people have been dying without proper treatment in Covid hospital,' said another BJP MLA who happens to be close to the Chief Minister. " Deb did not listen to the doctors in the beginning under the influence of some top bureaucrats and a few health officials broke down the entire healthcare system.'
“Sudip Roybarman had improved the healthcare system during his 14-month tenure. The referral cases were reduced to less than half and many established groups were ready to invest in the health sector on a private public partnership model. He was ousted from the cabinet out of jealousy and inner conflict, which has caused an irreparable damage to the health system and crores of rupees have been looted,” the MLA said.
Meanwhile, Roybarman while talking to the media today expressed his dissatisfaction over the role of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and said he did not respond to his phone calls and messages repeatedly despite being the MLA of ruling BJP.
“I wanted to meet CM on Covid-19 situation and for this I had texted and called him several times but no response came from his end. If it is so then how will the system function? I had specific suggestions to deal with the situation and tip to fill up the gaps at different levels. Unless these are plucked people will fall victim but the CM doesn’t have the courtesy to respond.”
Roybarman alleged that due to all wrong doings of Biplab Kumar Deb and a few others in the party, popularity of the government has dropped drastically in last two and half months and the people who had voted for the party in power have now started criticizing it and “all of us” for “his” attitude and performance.
' The common people of the state have lost faith in the hospitals because of the failure of the administration. Despite all arrangements, people are not coming for testing apprehending if they were found positive, they would be taken to hospital where there would be no treatment, no basic service. Even the dead bodies were not given on time, which is very dangerous for a government,' Roybarman stated.
“The positivity rate of the country and Tripura is the same today and in Agartala city area it is much higher than the national average. The government wants to bring the young and inexperienced doctors on Covid duty to keep aside the seniors and if such a situation conntinues then very dangerous days are ahead in Tripura,” Roybarman alleged adding that the department has failed to provide basic amenities to the doctors and patients.
' Can anybody think, CT scan machine, X-ray machine and even portable X-ray machines of a government medical college had gone out of order for over a month. There is no proper supply chain of oxygen, ventilation facilities, and other basic apparatus for Covid patients, how can doctors treat the patients?' the former health minister wondered.
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