The Zeliangrong Students Union Manipur (ZSUM) has appealed to the state government to install COVID-19 testing lab at every district hospital and enhance the testing capacity to at least 1,000 a day. The ZSUM also highlighted the need to organise awareness campaigns at the grass root level with community engagement so that the state can fight the pandemic in days to come.
ZSUM finance secretary Jangsingam Kamei stated in a release that nutritious food and adequate drinking water along with sanitised toilets should be made available for all inmates in different districts.
The ZSUM appealed to the state government to look into the grievances of the returnees who have to go and get quarantined at far flung areas, particularly in the hill districts.
Also, as the district hospitals are not equipped with testing labs, inmates in remote areas have to wait for weeks to be tested, it added.
There are reports and complaints coming from various areas despite the best efforts of the state government, it said.
The release mentioned that a ruckus took place at an institutional quarantine centre at Noney on March 26 when five boys were reportedly left out for medical test due to shortage of kits.
The release also alleged that three inmates at Jadonang Collge hostel quarantine centre at Noney were brutally assaulted by some police personnel and volunteers on duty.
The ZSUM, however, expressed its gratitude to the state government for taking up prompt actions to bring back stranded Manipuris outside the state and to the frontline warriors for their services, it added.
