BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK : With two more suspected cases of monkeypox surfacing in the country, Odisha government has laid stress on screening and testing of all suspected cases at points of entries (PoEs) like airports, and in the community.
As per the guideline issued by Ministry of Health, orientation of all key stakeholders including health screening teams at PoEs, disease surveillance teams and doctors working in hospitals on common signs and symptoms besides diagnosis will be conducted at regular intervals. They will also be imparted training on identifying suspects/confirmed cases and contacts, contact tracing and other surveillance activities.
The Health and Family Welfare department has asked all CDMOs, municipal commissioners and superintendents of medical colleges and hospitals to take steps for isolation of suspects and patients after detection besides focusing on continued monitoring and timely treatment.
They have also been asked to prioritise intensive risk communication by healthcare workers at sites in health facilities like skin and paediatric OPDs, immunisation clinics, intervention sites identified by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) besides the public on simple preventive strategies. A senior health official said steps are being taken for prompt reporting of cases once identified at PoEs or hospitals or at community level.
Meanwhile, the State government has made SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack the nodal centre for management of monkeypox. A separate isolation ward and four ICU beds have been kept ready for suspects and patients.
A team of doctors from various departments including medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, microbiology and dermatology has been constituted to treat the patients. Director of Health Services Dr Bijay Mohapatra said though no monkeypox case has been detected in the State, the chances of the virus affecting people cannot be ruled out as there is no restriction on foreign travel.