BHUBANESWAR: BJP MLAs on Wednesday wrote to chief minister Naveen Patnaik and assembly speaker Surya Narayan Patro for amendment of norms on spending MLA local area development (LAD) fund and utilisation of funds for strengthening health infrastructure in rural areas including Covid care centres for children in view of possible third wave affecting kids more.
They said the state government has made an assessment regarding the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic after the second wave.
And Covid-19 third wave possibly affects children.
“The government could not strengthen the infrastructure of the sub-divisional hospitals (SDH), community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) and health sub centres in rural pockets in the state during the first and second wave.
Because of this reason, rural people have been affected due to the Covid second wave,” said the MLAs in the letter.
The MLAs stated that the government along with different PSUs, NGOs, voluntary organisations, companies and other organisations have distributed masks among people.
“We also want to utilise the MLA LAD fund to create health facilities for common people during this pandemic.
Keeping this in mind, we urge the government to amend the guidelines of MLA LAD fund utilisation and include purchase of masks, PPE and gloves in the guidelines,” stated the letter.
Besides, they also want to set up of Covid isolation rooms, Covid care room for the children and creating beds with oxygen and ventilator facilities.
The BJP leaders said the government hospitals in rural areas should be strengthened for the benefit of common people.
The LAD fund should be used for this too, they added.
BJP chief whip and Keonjhar MLA Mohan Charan Majhi said the government should make arrangements to deploy ambulances with oxygen facility and ventilator inside at SDHs, CHCs, PHCs and health sub-centres.
Necessary medical equipment or kit should be provided at these centres for Covid diagnosis and disease management, he added.
He also said oxygen plants should be established at SDHs and CHCs to save the lives of the people in rural areas.
“Keeping all these demands in mind, the government should publish the amended circular to use the MLALAD fund for strengthening of rural health infrastructure,” he added.