Nagaland Police personnel on duty during total lockdown in Kohima on May 27. (Morung Photo)
Kohima, May 27 (MExN): The Angami Youth Organization (AYO) today stated that the massive increase in several COVID-19 has suddenly led to dismay and panic among the people.
“Fear of the disease and an uncertain future haunts most of us. However, one of the important concerns and one that needs to be urgently attended to is stigmatization associated with the pandemic,” stated AYO President Kekhrie Pfukha and Joint Secretary Keneilhoulie Theunuo.
The stigma of COVID-19, in the present context, has unfortunately led to several incidences of families not willing to perform burial of bodies of Coronavirus patients fearing contamination, colonies, and villages denying burials in its jurisdiction leading to the stigmatization of COVID patients, AYO stated.
In this, AYO urged the medical fraternity to come up with clear ‘do’s and don’ts’ which are in consonance with “our burial practices, so that the dead can be given a safe and dignified burial at any given place without any jurisdictional concerns.”
“The stigma of COVID- 19 is also preventing people with possible COVID symptoms from getting tested and seeking timely treatment due to the fear of being scorned by the neighbors, community, etc,” AYO stated.
The feedback from our medical community pointed out that there is a definite benefit of early treatment in COVID-19 and most of the recent casualties of COVID-19 have been due to late presentation to the hospital, it stated and stressed on the need to raise awareness of the disease among the people and to prevent stigmatization, helpline numbers, easy to use mobile applications and dedicated portals be created preferably in local dialects, wherein all the information regarding nearest testing facilities, safe and dignified burial practices, benefits of early treatment, etc. and all other necessary information can be collected.
Appeals to accelerate vaccination drive
Stating that the pandemic is showing no immediate signs of waning off, AYO asserted that safe COVID appropriate behaviors, vaccination, and early treatment are the only tools we have against it.
AYO appealed the state government to accelerate the vaccination drive with utmost transparency, give assurance to the people with regards to vaccine stock, oxygen supplies, medication supplies for COVID, and other emerging diseases associated with it like black fungus infection, etc.
“The second wave has not just brought with it a huge rise in the number of cases and deaths, but it also brought economic hardships and social anxiety with a significant segment of the society dreading an uncertain unprecedented future,” AYO stated.
Further, AYO urged the government to put in place sound policies and solutions at the earliest “so that livelihoods are not threatened, while the future of students is also not compromised because of perpetual lockdown.”
Urges to maintain commodities rates
AYO made a sincere appeal to the business community not to sell essential commodities at exorbitant rates.
“We should take note that the imposition of the lockdown has affected the entire population and not one particular section of the community,” it stated.
Likewise, AYO stated, this is the hour where every section of the society should come together and contribute as a team, keeping in mind the larger interest of the majority.
“Along with the world and our country, we are undergoing a difficult situation. Let us give a concerted effort to fight against COVID-19,” AYO stated and called upon the people to “Stay home, stay safe.”
