JEYPORE: At a time when the State is staring at an epidemic outbreak, hospitals at Koraput district do not have basic equipment or infrastructure to deal with coronavirus.
The District Headquarters Hospital does not yet have an ICU and during emergency, critical patients are referred to Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital (MCH) at Koraput town.
The DHH has oxygen facilities for the patients but no ventilators. On the other hand, the MCH has four ICUs but no ventilators. To deal with coronavirus cases, the DHH has opened an isolation ward with 12 beds and a similar facility set up at the MCH with four beds.
But no isolation wards have been opened at health centres across the district even as a large number of people, migrant workers in particular, are returning to villagers from coronavirus affected states. Only screening facilities have been made available at these CHCs and PHCs.
Besides, the administration has opened 222 panchayat level corona quarantine rooms in different blocks. So far, around 300 migrant labourers have been quarantined in Koraput district but none tested positive for coronavirus.
CDMO Makaranda Brutus said they have asked four private hospitals to open isolation wards with 10 beds each.