The DMK chief and Opposition leader MK Stalin condemned the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for failing to contain the spread of coronavirus and adding pressure to medical professionals. Further, Stalin accused the government of being ‘unfit’ since they are unable to correctly dispose of medical waste and instead allow benami companies to work under the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
In a statement, Stalin said, “The government-led Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has created a frightening situation by failing to contain the spread of infection thereby pushing the medical professionals and sanitary workers to a risk.”
Stalin raised questions on the disposal of the medical wastes. Now that there is an increase in the amount of medical wastes including PPE kits, face masks, hand gloves, injections and rtPRC kits, the Tamil Nadu pollution control board has outsourced 13 firms to monitor the safe disposal of these waste.
In the 13 firms, Stalin alleged that three are organised firms while the remaining are firms owned by benami companies of the ruling government. Despite this, the Pollution Control Board has not announced information on the disposal of medical wastes, he said.
The medical wastes that pose a danger should be taken in a closed garbage truck and incinerated. However, there is a dangerous situation wherein medical wastes are being taken in unclosed garbage trucks and are buried in the ground at dumping yards, he stated.
Stalin said, "The government should change the widespread criticism that ‘the government is unfit even for disposing the garbage'. Therefore the government should dispose of the garbage following precautions and provide an update on the disposal in the TN pollution control board website with data on the amount of incinerated medical waste."
The DMK chief also alleged that due to the 'lethargic' works of the state government there is an increase in the spread of infection that creates a pressure among the tirelessly working medical professionals.
Stalin said, for 395 patients in the ICU only 26 nurses are working in one shift. By this, the government is creating additional pressure among the medical health professionals who are already under stress as they are away from their loved ones staying at the hospitals, due to problems arising from staying at rented houses, he added.
The DMK chief alleged that the basic needs of the medical professionals were being rejected without consideration and that the government should motivate the nurses by providing them a consolidated pay. Since the sanitary workers collecting garbage are not given the required face masks, they are also pushed to an unsafe situation, he added.