Odisha: Ganjam people worried over increasing Covid-19 cases in district

BHUBANESWAR: People in Ganjam are worried a lot for the increasing Covid-19 positive cases in the district. This disease has caused untold miseries to lakhs of people of the district. While several non-Covid patients are facing difficulties to get medical attention, many of them do not visit hospitals fearing infection.
The district, which has reported 7,634 Covid-19 positive cases and 70 deaths so far, is witnessing an increase in cases during the last three days.The fear of Covid-19 infection is emerging as a problem in the badly affected areas of the district, said a social activist.
"If anybody visits a hospital for non-Covid treatment and returns home, people start creating rumours that the person is infected with Covid-19. The person goes through mental trauma as people start avoiding the family. Sometimes people get heart attack because of this," said Pradeep Kumar Swain from Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district.
Ramachandra Sethi, former Sarpanch of Kanheipur panchayat in Ganjam district, said people do not get medical attention during this pandemic situation. "If one person is suffering from other ailments, hospitals do not allow them. Government gives instructions to hospitals and clinics, but nobody obeys it. Some people do not visit hospitals fearing infection," he added.
Devidatta Rath, a resident of Berhampur, said the south Odisha city is badly affected by Covid-19. "People are now facing health, financial and social crisis at a time. The business establishments are badly affected because of the lockdown and shutdown. The farmers and shops, who were depending on Berhampur, are also facing problem. Everybody knows about health crisis in our city. People even do not touch a body without any Covid infection," he added.
Social activist Prafulla Samantara, who is staying in Berhampur, said the health facilities are not functioning properly. "OPDs of many hospitals are closed. Sometimes doctors are not attending emergency patients in time. A few days ago, hospitals in Bhubaneswar did not allow a patient from Ganjam. This has created a mental trauma in people's mind. Non-Covid patients are not properly attended," he added.
He said people have started suspecting others. "Stigma associated with Covid-19 is not good thing for society. People also suspect recovered people. Fearing this social discrimination, some people do not come voluntarily to get tested for Covid-19. We have to work on this part," he added.