COVID resurgence: Odisha Govt directs district officials to step up preparedness

Bhubaneswar: In view of spurt in COVID-19 cases in Odisha, the State Government directed the district authorities and CDMOs to get prepared for possible worst-case scenario.

Additional Chief Secretary Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra today instructed all the collectors, municipal commissioners, CDMOs and PHOs to set up healthcare infrastructure in their respective districts and jurisdictions in fight against second wave of deadly virus.

Taking the note of rapid surge of COVID cases in the State, the Health Secretary asked the district officials to be ready with required number of beds with other medical facilities in hospitals for COVID patients.

He urged to take following measures immediately to mitigate the pandemic:

1. The required numbers of beds with oxygen facilities in DHH/ MCH should be kept in readiness for immediate use of COVID patients.

2. Other categories of isolation beds in ICU, HDU, DIALYSIS, Labour Room etc should also be kept in readiness for immediate use of patients.

3. Private hospitals of the districts shall also be kept in readiness for immediate use with short notice.

4. Adequate stock of medicine like Flavipiravir, Remdisivir etc should be maintained at district level to meet the demand at local level.

5. District teams should be re-oriented on the SOP for treatment of patients under home isolation, and the same should be followed without fail.

6. RRTs teams should undertake periodic visits to patients under home isolation, as per SOP.

7. Vaccination of comorbid categories should be stepped up on a war footing.

The daily count of COVID cases continue to jump up over a week in Odisha. Today, 461 new infections were reported from 24 districts creating an ‘alarming’ situation in the State.