Odisha to set up India’s biggest COVID-19 hospitals in 15 days

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Mar 26, 2020 at 3:21 PM Updated On : Mar 26, 2020 at 5:09 PM

Bhubaneswar: Close on the heels of the China Government, which had erected a make-shift hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients, the Odisha Government is going to have two large COVID-19 hospitals here for treatment of affected persons.

Today, the State Government signed tripartite agreements with two private hospitals-SUM and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) at Loka Seva Bhawa here to set up 1000-bedded state-of-the-art hospitals in Bhubaneswar for treatment of COVID-19 patients. Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL) will provide the CSR funding for the purpose. Both the new facilities will be functional in a fortnight.

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The first MoU was signed by Health Secretary Nikunja Bihari Dhal, OMC MD Vineel Krishna and KIIMS Management to set up a 450 bedded hospital. The second MoU was signed by Health Secretary Nikunja Bihari Dhal, SS Panda of MCL and SUM Hospital Management to set up a 500- bedded hospital with ICU facilities.

“Following Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s direction to provide state-of-the-art facilities to coronavirus patients, Odisha has planned to set up two biggest COVID-19 hospitals in the country,” said a communiqué issued by the Chief Minister Office (CMO).

“There was an urgent need to take up proactive steps to strengthen the healthcare system and provide dedicated health services to suspected and affected persons of Covid-19. Developed countries like Italy and USA having matured healthcare systems have found it difficult to respond to this unprecedented crisis. The global experience shows that COVID 19 patients need to be put under observation and treatment in a separate hospital instead of a general hospital: thus minimising the chance of transmission to others,” it added.

The Chief Minister has also directed to set up similar facilities for COVID 19 cases in other areas of the State. The state Government has taken this unique initiative to respond to this extraordinary challenge, the communiqué reads.

Following the agreement, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) University Vice-Chancellor Ashok Kumar Mahapatra said a 500-bedded COVID-19 ward will be set up in four days and it will have 20 ICUs. KIMS will set up a 450-bedded ward for the purpose shortly, said Founder of KIIT and KISS Achyuta Samanta.