Shillong, June 28: Meghalaya has the highest recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in terms of percentage all over the country.

As per data of the Union Health Ministry the State recorded 89.1 per cent recovery rate followed by Rajasthan with 78.8 per cent and Tripura with 78.6 percent as against the national average recovery rate of 58.13 per cent among COVID-19 patients as on June 27, 2020.

State Health and Family Welfare Minister, A. L. Hek thanked all stakeholders for their hard work.

Hek however urged the citizens not be complacent.

“Extra effort has to be put in to combat this pandemic,” the State Health and Family Welfare Minister said.

He said that frontline workers like health personnel and health volunteers, police, transport, sanitary workers have all been playing crucial roles in controlling the spread of infection in the State.

According to Hek in order to combat the spread of the virus community participation is very important.

He said that had not the people of the State through the traditional institutions participated it would have been difficult for the government to control this pandemic.

The State Health Minister said that the government now is doing its best to sensitise the people regarding behavioural change through individualised training.

On the testing front Hek said that the government must triple it’s vigilance measures and ramp up testing facilities.

“RT-PCR testing is being done in Civil Hospital, Tura now, besides Truenat test. Truenat machines will be installed in all Districts. RT-PCR testing will also be commissioned at Pasteur Institute in Shillong, which at present is performing only Truenat tests,” he said.

Meanwhile, State Director of Health Service (MI), Dr Aman War attributed the present situation in the State to returnees who tested positive for COVID-19.

“There has been no evidence of any social transmission of the viral infection in the State till date,” Dr. War said.

He said that strict restriction on inter-state movement of people, since the surge of cases in neighbouring Assam returnees have to mandatorily undergo tests and then quarantine.