Arunachal designates state-run TRIHMS as COVID-19 treatment

The Arunachal Pradesh government has designated the 500-bed Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) at Naharlagun as a dedicated centre for treating COVID-19 patients, a senior health official said on Saturday.

No COVID-19 case has been detected in the state so far.

"The TRIHMS, the lone medical college and hospital in the state, has a four-bed ICU with ventilator facilities. The Bakin Pertin General Hospital in East Siang district's Pasighat will also be equipped with an ICU," Health Secretary P Parthiban said.

He said a consignment of 10,000 N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) will soon arrive in the state from the Centre.

The state health department has set up quarantine facilities in six districts and isolation wards have been identified at TRIHMS, Pasighat General Hospital and other state-run medical facilities in the districts, officials said.

Capital Complex Deputy Commissioner Komkar Dulom said that two locations in the state capital region have been identified for setting up of quarantine facilities.

The state government had recently stopped issuing temporary and provisional Inner Line Permit (ILP) to Indian citizens and Protected Area Permit to foreign tourists to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Capital Complex administration has arranged mobile application-based home delivery of essential commodities besides ambulance services to provide relief to the people during the lockdown, Superintendent of Police Tumme Amo said.

"Basic goods will be home delivered through 'U Tells Us' application between 10 am and 2 pm every day. Grocery items will be delivered at your doorsteps through 'Dukandada' application within 24 hours of placement of orders that need to be done between 9 am and 2 pm," he said.

Meanwhile, residents of several villages in Tirap and Longding districts have erected barricades on the roads leading to Myanmar to prevent cross-border movement of people amid the coronavirus outbreak.