BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has designated a COVID Hospital in Bhubaneswar for treatment of doctors and COVID warriors testing positive for novel coronavirus in the State.
As per the order of the Health and Family Welfare department, Aditya Ashwini COVID-19 Hospital will exclusively treat doctors and COVID-19 warriors once they are found infected. The decision was taken following demands from various doctors’ associations.
Additional Chief Secretary PK Mohapatra said, the COVID ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack will also have special arrangements for doctors and Covid warriors infected by the virus. Some beds in the general ward and ICU will be kept reserved for them, he said.
The department has asked Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) and Director of Health Services (DHS) to take necessary action so that no doctor, paramedical staff and frontline Covid warrior faces any inconvenience in availing required treatment.
While some states including Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have already set up dedicated COVID Hospital for doctors and paramedics, Odisha has extended the service for all frontline COVID warriors along with the healthcare workers.The dedicated hospital will have all specialised care, critical and intensive care specialists round-the-clock.
The government and private doctors have welcomed the decision. President of Odisha Medical Services Association (OMSA) Dr Narayan Rout said that the move to have a hospital would boost the morale of the medical fraternity.
"We had been demanding a separate treatment facility for health professionals so that they can get specialised treatment and recover early to rejoin duty. At last, the Government agreed," he said. More than 75 COVID warriors, including 25 doctors have succumbed to the disease in the State so far.
