Odisha Govt modifies strategies to tackle COVID-19 crisis

Bhubaneswar: As Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already cautioned that June will be crucial for the fight against COVID-19, the state Government has decided to change its strategies to deal with the crisis.

Accordingly, the state Government today stressed on the need for decentralization of COVID-19 management and community awareness activities.

As part of the revised strategies, COVID Care Home Facility will be set up in every Gram Panchayat which will accommodate 10 to 20 persons at a time. By this, around 70,000 people can be kept in the facilities in rural areas.  Instead of sending people with flu-like symptoms like couple, fever and cough directly to hospitals, staffs concerned can lodge them in the COVID Care Homes. They will be sent to COVID hospital only if they test positive for coronavirus.

This apart, for decentralization of COVID-19 management, ward-level committees will be formed both in rural and urban areas. The  committee will have ASHA  and Anganwadi workers, ANMs and SHG workers as its members. It will be given special power and empowered to spend Rs 10,000 in this direction. While the village welfare committee will be in charge of the ward-level committee, Sarpanch will continue to supervise the COVID Care Home and TMC.

In urban areas, the committee will be monitored by ward officials and have locals and  volunteers as its members. The committee members will visit door-to-door to collect information related to health condition of people and take necessary steps .

“The committees will mainly focus on urban slums.  COVID Care Home will be set up in major slums in the urban areas,” said a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.