The Northeastern state with a population of over 20lakh has no medical college. It set up its lone testing labfor COVID-19 in Kohima after directions from the high courtbut has not been able to make it functional due to the non-availability of an essential compound.
It is all Gods miracle that has kept Nagaland safefrom COVID-19 pandemic till date, Chief Secretary Temjen Toytold .
The other reason is the hard work of the healthworkers in dealing with the suspected cases, he said.
Under the present circumstances and given the limitedinfrastructure, we have given our best and managed to preventcoronavirus, though there is a lot more to be done, especiallyin the health sector, Toy said.
Nagaland at present sends samples to Assam and Manipurfor testing and till Friday 910 were sent. Of them, 889 werefound to be negative for COVID-19, while reports of 21 areawaited.
Our testing rate is quite low but with the lab beingset up, our testing rate would go up and give us a clearerpicture of the situation in the state, Toy said.
The chief secretary said the biggest threat currentlyis the virus entering the state with the stranded peoplecoming in from other parts of the country.
Till Friday, 838 people have returned to the statefrom different parts of the country.
He said the government is working to improve thestate's health infrastructure and also filling up positions atstate-run facilities.
All eleven district hospitals have been designated fortreating COVID-19 patients. The total number of general bedsin these hospitals is 464, besides 385 isolation beds and 66in the ICUs.
However, officials acknowledged that these facilitieswere not enough in case of an outbreak.
A war room has also been set up to effectively monitorthe situation and strategise accordingly, Toy said.
The state has also created a capacity of 3,261 roomsin quarantine centres.
While 376 people are currently in home quarantine inthe state, 957 are undergoing institutional quarantine. Total6,849 people have completed their isolation period.
Echoing Toy, another senior bureaucrat said that it isthe prayers of the church leaders and believers that havesaved Nagaland from the virus.
It is God's amazing grace, said Kikheto Sema, thein-charge of the COVID-19 empowered committee of Dimapurdistrict.
He said Dimapur, which is the commercial hub of thestate and shares border with Assam, is the frontier in the waragainst coronavirus and keeping it safe is key to winning it.
Once Dimapur fails to stop the entry of coronavirus,all other districts would also fail, he said.
Close coordination is being maintained betweendifferent departments in the fight against the coronavirus,Sema said, adding that the people of the district are alsocooperating in the efforts.
It was we not I, as I bring illness but we bringwellness, he said.
Sema said the district has been working on four Cs coordination, cooperation, confidence and contribution. NBSSOM SOM