BENGALURU: Alleging lack of clarity, with the State government changing norms, orders and notifications over Covid-19 management frequently, opposition party leaders have asked for coordination between departments. With both the Medical Education Ministry and Health Ministry involved in the containment of Covid-19, Congress State unit working president Eshwar Khandre has urged the government to merge both ministries. Khandre’s potshot comes in the backdrop of these two ministries allegedly fighting for limelight during the pandemic.
“As part of Covid-19 management, the medical education department and health department are issuing different orders, notifications, circulars every day. Decisions are taken and changed by both departments in a matter of minutes severely hampering containment measures. People are suffering because of lack of coordination between these departments. At least until such time that Covid-19 ceases to exist, I urge on behalf of the Congress party, to merge both departments and allow them to function under a single authority,” Khandre tweeted.
Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader and Gadag MLA H K Patil has written a letter to the Chief Minister suggesting a six-point measure to contain the spread of the virus. “At a time when the State is reeling at the peak of the virus crisis, the government should cover each citizen under Covid-19 insurance and bear the cost of insurance premiums,” Patil suggested in his letter.
Converting KSRTC and BMTC buses which are lying idle into makeshift ambulances with minimum facilities, immediate direct recruitment of frontline workers including doctors and nurses, a high-level committee to monitor respectful burial or cremation of those succumbing to the virus, universal use of rapid antigen testing and taking over luxury private hospitals with oxygen and ventilator facilities on an immediate basis are the other suggestions made by Patil.