Sikyong announces measures to tackle Covid-19 situation in India, Nepal

By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, May 29: Sikyong Penpa Tsering on Saturday announced measures to tackle the deteriorating Covid-19 situation by charting out new strategies in India and Nepal. The new CTA President with the Secretary of the Health Department, Palden Dhondup announced its plans to curb the spread of the pandemic with the help of Covid-19 task force established last year by the previous administration.

“The vaccine availability is low everywhere in the country, but the task force will put every effort to procure vaccines if and when they are available. I urge all the settlement heads to take upon any opportunity to vaccinate their respective public. We will also put up help centers in different places to assist the public to register themselves through the government portals [cowin.gov.in],” President Penpa Tsering told the public through the virtual address. He also cautioned the public against a ‘third wave’ that medical experts estimate will hit India soon, and advised the public to take necessary measures.

“Over 17,000 Tibetans have been vaccinated according to the records, but since there are over 80,000 Tibetans around India and Nepal, we have only been able to vaccinate 20% of the public. We yet do not have the reports of individuals who got their jabs after the vaccination for people above 18 were declared a month ago,” he further said. He ensured continuous welfare for active cases in the community by making available necessary medical requirements for patients, and further vowed to help the families who are struggling to make ends meet amidst the pandemic.

President Tsering applauded the fundraisers conducted by NGOs and individuals across the diaspora to confront the pandemic ravaging India and Nepal, and also urged them to provide details of their funding to respective settlement heads to avoid overlapping use of resources. As of Saturday, there have been 4445 total cases in the Tibetan community, of which 1348 are active cases and 114 reported deaths. “These are the numbers of Tibetans affected by the coronavirus known to the administration, but it is certain that there are more cases out there than we know,” he said during the address.

On Friday, Sikyong visited several quarantine facilities in Dharamshala including the Covid Care Centre at Nelenkhang, Upper TCV and in McLeod Ganj, which is jointly managed by Settlement Office and the Tibetan Youth Congress, and met frontline workers. In his inaugural address on Thursday, Sikyong Penpa Tsering said that tackling the pandemic in the Tibetan community would remain one of his most important and immediate priorities.