PUDUCHERRY: Certain essential services have been permitted by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) from April 20 as per orders issued today, but non-exemption of auxillary(support) services are posing difficulties in operation of essential services.
Eye hospitals have started conducting emergency surgeries, but there is no supply of protective glasses to be provided to patients after surgery. This is because the optical suppliers have not been permitted to operate. “Several eye care hospitals like Jothi Eye Care at Vysial Street, Suganthi eye care at Villianur have been asking us to supply, but we are unable to do so”, says S. Anandan, Secretary of Optical association of Puducherry.
These surgeries are needed to be taken up on emergency basis, otherwise, it will lead to loss of sight said Dr Vanaja Vaithianathan, Medical Director and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Jothi Eye Care Centre, which resumed surgeries. To stop diabetic bleeding inside the eyes, Hypermature Cataract with phacolytic glaucoma, Angle Closure Glaucoma- with uncontrolled intraocular pressure, with maximal Medical therapy, Intra- Vitreal Anti- VEGF for Diabetic Macular Oedema and Proliferative Retinopathy with bleeding are among the cases that are taken up for surgery with all precautions. On Wednesday three surgeries have been done and five to seven are posted next week, she said. At present the centre is managing with the limited stock of protective glasses, but supply is required, she said.
"If the Optical suppliers are allowed to operate for two to three hours, then the product can be delivered ", said Anandan.
Though Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled services are exempted, IT service providers for fixing issues with Computers, UPS, Telecom, Office Automation, Solar equipment have been not included in the exempted list of essential services. The clients include banks, hospitals, critical industries.
“IT service providers to the clients has become critical today as all the process runs digitally, online and we wish to support during the current crisis time," says K A Prabhakar, President of IT traders association of Puducherry. On an average 10 to 15 complaints are received, he said.
The Service, Support, back-office team require the necessary pass to travel and attend. As the process is cumbersome the client has to wait till the pass is issued for travel. Explaining the process, he said the client has to apply by Whatsapp to the district collector office by providing the service Engineer’s name, mobile no, and vehicle no. for the pass to be issued within 24 hrs. For attending to Tamilnadu hospitals in Cuddalore, Villupuram district there is interstate problem, said Prabhakar and requested Government of India to include IT Service providers in the exempted list.
The issue is also with packaging materials for food suppliers, groceries and provisions stores as the Plastic industry is not exempted from lockdown If one or two hours relaxation is given to the Plastic industries, the packaging materials can be supplied, said S Babu, President of plastic Manufacturers association.