NEWS DESK: On Thursday, July 16, Assam Health Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the public in a press meet. During the press meet, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma stated the following facts:
- Assam at present is battling through a stage of non-improvement in respect to COVID-19.
- The Recovery rate in the state is 65% while the Mortality rate is 0.24 %.
- 12,218 COVID-19 cases in the last month in Assam.
- The Doubling rate stands at 12 days.
- An average of 700 patients had been discharged daily in the past few days.
- Three new testing labs in Assam by next week in the following hospitals: B. Barooah Cancer Institute, GMC Cancer Hospital, Sonapur Civil Hospital.
- Assam will complete a milestone of 6 Lakh testings.
- At present, the test per million in the state is 17,800, which is in the third position after Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu also above the WHO advised level.
- 25 people lost their lives in Kamrup (Metro) due to COVID-19.
- Aggressive treatment to be used. Oxygen therapy the first step of that treatment.
- Assam has fortunately received 100 vials of Itolizumab medicine. Each vial costs 10.000 rupees.
- RT-PCR testings are going on in Assam for free.
- Plasma donation can be done only by the patients who have recovered from COVID-19 and went through intensive treatment. Such willing patients can call 104.
- The Plasma Donors till now are GMCH Dr. Lithikesh, the first plasma donor, Samirul Hague, Shahjahan Ali Ahmed, Manish Tibrewal, Indrajit Haloi, Lav Pradhan.
- People from other states can also donate their plasma to Assam. Advertisement of the same will be done through national media. Till now a total of 1,10,000 people have been tested solely in Guwahati.
- Sixty new COVID-19 Screening Centres will be developed in the city.
- Ward wise screening will be done.
- People working in offices and shops have to get tested strictly before the unlock process starts again. This is to prevent further spread from infected to healthy persons.
- From next week, a telemedicine unit will be established so that people in home quarantine could contact and access help as and when required.
- Within 15-days each of the private nursing homes in the city must install a COVID testing kit, and the staff should be tested periodically at least within 3 days.
- As a part of the geriatric care, every diabetic COVID-19 positive patient will be given fruits and essentials worth Rs 100 or more per day.