BHUBANESWAR: As Bhubaneswar reports a rapid surge in COVID-19 infection, prompting apprehensions of community transmission, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is in a spot over handling its own frontline workers.
As an assistant section officer (ASO) who tested positive awaits transfer to a hospital, the Steel and Mines (S&M) Department had to shoot off a letter to BMC Commissioner seeking his intervention.
The letter said that ASO Ranjan Jena tested positive on August 31 but is awaiting transfer to a COVID facility. Living in a single rented house with other roommates in Aerodrome area of the city, Jena has been requesting BMC officials to shift him to a COVID-19 hospital for treatment as home isolation is not possible, .
With all symptoms of the deadly virus, he is in great pain and his health condition is deteriorating. Instead of shifting him to a Covid hospital, the BMC officials are advising to take medicine and stay in home isolation.
As his requests for hospitalisation to BMC fell on deaf ears, Jena finally sought the intervention of department authority. He is an employee of the Steel and Mines department and was deployed by the Government to work with BMC team in Ward-46 to fight the spread of coronavirus.
In a letter to the BMC Commissioner, Special Secretary of Steel and Mines department SK Swain said, “He (Jena) has symptoms like headache, high fever, muscle pain, cough with occasional blood coming out of the mouth.” Since Jena is currently living in a single rented house with other roommates, this is clear barrier to maintain home isolation protocols, Swain said.
The department has also provided his current address (Plot No 216/124, Lane-4, Aerodome, Near Naveen Nivas, Pin-751020) with mobile phone number requesting prompt action.
The issue has flagged health condition of COVID-19 patients who are encouraged home isolation. As of August, around 67 per cent of all the active cases in the Capital were in home isolation to reduce burden on COVID hospitals.