A view of a street in Imphal during lockdown. Image: Northeast Now

To prepare for any eventualities in the face of coronavirus outbreak, Manipur government is planning to utilize the services of the retired paramedics in the State.

The state Health Directorate through a notification in Imphal on Tuesday requested all the paramedic staffs who has retired in the last three years to be on alert.

These include staff nurse, nursing sister, auxiliary nurse midwife/female health worker, female health supervisor, pharmacist, male health worker and male health supervisor.

They are requested to report to the concerned chief medical officers/state programme officers/ head of offices of their district with immediate effect.

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All the chief medical officers/state programme officers/head of offices have also been instructed to report the name, mobile number and address of the retired paramedics, according to the notification.

The step has been taken in an effort to utilize the services of these paramedics if any emergency situation arises so as to make sure there is no shortage of health workers in combating the deadly virus.

As part of stepping up the preparedness effort to contain the looming COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government has also taken up various forms of development activities in the State after the State had reported its first COVID-19 case on March 24 last.

The state is also planning to set up a new 200-bedded quarantine centre at Langthabal Phumlou Loukol in Manipur’s Imphal West district as part of the immediate measures taken up to tackle COVID-19.

The state chief minister N Biren Singh along with MLAs and top officials of the State had also inspected the proposed site located under Imphal West District on March 30 last.

The new quarantine centre will be constructed in an area measuring around one pari which is equivalent to one hectare of land and the whole idea of the initiative is to develop a permanent healthcare centre of the State Government in order to address the public demand in case of any emergencies or outbreak of epidemic or natural calamities.