Massive Covid care infra boost for worst-hit Ganjam

Bhubaneswar: The state government on Saturday announced massive expansion of infrastructure, more use of telemedicine and sustained awareness campaign in worst-hit Ganjam district, days after the Union health ministry wrote to the state asking for renewed strategy for high-case load districts.
A high-level meeting chaired by additional chief secretary (health) decided to reopen the OPD of MKCG Medical College and Hospital and make its emergency wing functional round the clock.The hospital will have an additional superintendent exclusively for aiding Covid care.
The government decided to add 400 more beds in three locations for Covid patients within the next two to three days. A 100-bed Covid care centre (CCC) will function in the children’s ward of MKCG under the supervision of the district collector. Similarly, two other CCCs of 150 beds each will function at Bidyutpur and on the premises of Sishu Mandir to be run by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.
The government asked the community health centres and CCCs to reserve 10% beds for patients with lower oxygen level. Similarly, a group of professionals led by a psychiatrist will provide tele-counselling to Covid positive persons to address their emotional concerns. Cured Covid patients will work as Covid Monitors, each giving advice to at least 10 patients. They will receive Rs 1000 assistance for the same.
The government also asked the Ganjam district administration to requisition hotels in Berhampur and Gopalpur for doctors and government employees involved in Covid care. Notably, the government has deployed around 130 additional doctors, including ayurvedic and homoeopathic practitioners in the district in the past one week.
Lav Agarwal, joint secretary in the ministry of health, has written to health secretaries of Odisha besides Bihar, West Bengal and Assam. Pointing out that Odisha is the tenth most-affected state in the country with Ganjam reporting approximately 37% of the state’s active case load, Agarwal suggested the need to focus on emerging hotspots such as Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Keonjhar.
Additional chief secretary (health) Pradipta Mohapatra said the ongoing lockdown in Ganjam, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur and Rourkela is part of the renewed government measures to contain the pandemic.
On Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Keonjhar, Mohapatra said, “As per our analysis, these districts do not come under that category.”
While Ganjam with 5,280 positive cases and 52 deaths is worst affected in the state, Keonjhar has reported 389 positive cases while Sambalpur and Nabarangpur have reported 156 each.