BHUBANESWAR: A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said his government is investing Rs 8,500 crore to further strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in the State, the BJP on Thursday asked him to make details of the expenditure plan public.
Dubbing it as a well-thought out strategy to divert public attention from his government’s gross failure in managing the Covid-19 pandemic situation, State BJP general secretary Lekhashree Samantsinghar said,” The State government’s preparedness to tackle the pandemic during the second wave proved grossly inadequate once coronavirus began spreading to hinterlands. A large number of Covid patients died due to insufficient hospital beds and lack of ICU, oxygen and ventilator facilities. The fear of getting exposed led to under-reporting of Covid deaths.”
It is a matter of shame that none of the medical colleges and hospitals in the State has oxygen plants which were fulfilled only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released funds from PM-Cares. The inefficiency of the BJD government came to light when people started questioning about the fate of oxygen plant sanctioned from PM-Cares Fund last year, Lakhashree added. She said the Centre came to the rescue of people of the State by creating a number of Covid care facilities through Central PSUs.