Lok Sabha members from Kerala asked the Union government on Tuesday to send specialist medical teams to the State where the first cases of confirmed Novel Coronavirus infection have been detected.
They wanted the Centre to make a statement in Parliament on the steps taken to contain the spread of the virus.
“Speaker Sir, Coronavirus has become a dangerous epidemic all round the world. In our country, there are thousands of cases under observation. The first Coronavirus positive patient was confirmed in my district of Kerala,” said Congress MP T.N. Prathapan. Around 3000 patients were under observation in Kerala alone and the State government had declared Coronavirus a State disaster, he said.
“I urge the Central Government to facilitate a fully functional medical team, including an efficient team of disaster management, to Kerala and other reporting States. ...I also appeal to the Health Minister to give a detailed explanation in the Lok Sabha regarding the current situation,” he added.
RSP MP N.K. Premachandran said better facilities should be given to the students who were airlifted from Wuhan, now quarantined at Manesar. “At the earliest, the country wants to know what is the global status, and what is the status in our country, particularly in Kerala. We would like to have a statement from the honourable Minister under Rule 372,” he said.
Congress chief whip K. Suresh also joined his fellow MPs and demanded a statement. “Speaker Sir, through you, I would like to request the government to make an immediate statement in the House as to how this emergency situation is being tackled by the Government of India,” he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said he would convey the Opposition demand to the Minister concerned.
