Odisha govt urges industries to set up own COVID Care Centres

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday urged industrial houses and public sector undertakings to set up their own COVID Care Centres (CCCs) within a week for the treatment of their employees.

The request was made to them during a video conference.

Chief Secretary A K Tripathy gave them an assurance of technical guidance, training facilities and supply of critical medicines.

“Please come up with the CCCs within a week,” Industries Secretary Hemant Sharma said. The industrial houses were asked to set up the CCCs in their own facilities.

“The government has created a large number of units under a three-tier COVID-19 care system. These are Covid Care Centers (CCCs) Covid Heath Centers (CHSs) and Specialized Covid Hospitals. Asymptomatic or mild-symptomatic coronavirus positive persons are taken care in CCCs,” the chief secretary said.

More than 80 per cent of the cases need management only in CCCs, he said.

“Taking away asymptomatic or mild-symptomatic persons from their homes to isolation by detaching them from all social contacts is not good for their physical and mental well-being. At times, it becomes traumatic for them. Considering this, the government has decided to allow home isolation or institutional isolation in their own social setting,” Tripathy said.

Appreciating the decision of the government and the steps taken so far to fight COVID-19, the participants agreed to set up CCCs in their facilities for their employees and family members, Sharma said.

Around 40 companies, including MCL, NALCO, OCL, Paradip Refinery, NTPC, RSP, IOCL, Tata Steel, JSW, Emami, Dalmia Cement, Hindalco, ACC Cement, Vedanta Ltd and JK Paper Ltd, participated in the discussions.

To save time and to make the process hassle-free, they were advised to coordinate with the Collectors and Municipal Commissioners of the respective areas where the facilities would be set up, Sharma said.

(PTI)