‘Over 1.41 lakh non-Covid patients died between April and October in Odisha’

Bhubaneswar: As many as 1,41,874 patients suffering from ailments other than Covid-19 in Odisha have died between April and October, informed Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das today.

In reply to an unstarred question asked Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik in the State Assembly, the Minister also said reports of poor healthcare services for non-Covid patients is not true.

Patnaik sought a statement from the Minister on the number of non-Covid patient deaths. The legislator also wanted to know whether reports of poor health services for non-Covid patients during pandemic are true.

While replying to another unstarred question asked by the Khandapada legislator in the State Assembly, the Health Minister further informed that Rs 223.87 crore have been spent on Covid test of the people and free treatment of positive cases at hospitals in the State. The data is based on the information provided by the 23 district administrations and the process for getting the information from other districts is on, he added.

The private hospitals have been asked to provide the bill for expenses towards Covid tests of people and free treatment of positive cases, the minister added.