On March 14, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified Covid-19 as a ‘disaster’, invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005. In mounting an effective response at its level, the Odisha Government drew from its experience, strategy and infrastructure in contending with cyclonic events in recent years and declared the outbreak a disaster on March 12, before a single case was detected within the State. The State published the Covid-19 Regulations, 2020, alongside an initial fund of Rs 200 crore to tackle the spread of the virus.
As a whole, the nation did well to commence screening of international arrivals from affected countries, or those presenting symptoms of the disease. However, Odisha could not wait for guidance from the Central Government, which itself was grappling with the spread of the virus nationally. Understanding the need for an effective strategy, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik constituted a Group of Ministers and a Committee of Secretaries to monitor the implementation of measures. As Odisha has gradually learnt, disaster mitigation requires an advanced and comprehensive approach. The CAG (Report No. 5 of 2013) had acknowledged that Odisha had instituted a number of measures to strengthen its institutional framework post the 1999 Super Cyclone.
The crux of this strategy has been building community preparedness and involvement, thereby making people resilient to disasters of such magnitude. A vital component of this was the construction of 316 Multi-Purpose Cyclone Shelters in 6 of its coastal districts. This preparedness was put to the test when cyclone Fani made landfall in 2019. As many as 1.5 million people were shifted to 4,000 shelters within 24 hours in what would have been one of the biggest evacuations in history. Earlier, the Odisha Government’s handling of cyclone Phailin was appreciated internationally for following a ‘zero casualty approach’ for the first time in the country.
Odisha’s experience has been transposed to the coronavirus disaster as well. In terms of preparedness, MLAs were sensitised to spread the message to their constituents. Certain widespread practices also needed change. The State took this opportunity to campaign against spitting of ‘paan’, seen as a major health hazard. Persons have also been arrested for spreading misinformation. Further, `21 crore was sanctioned for 114 Urban Local Bodies to take preventive measures. Isolation for coronavirus is crucial in the same manner as evacuation is for cyclones. To leverage existing infrastructure, `5 lakh has been released to each Panchayat to convert Panchayat buildings into isolation wards, for which ASHA and Anganwadi workers have been trained on disinfections and precautions.
Isolation wards have also been opened in CHCs and district hospitals. The government has also identified 7,276 temporary medical camps, each with a designated nodal officer, in all 6,798 Gram Panchayats for any contingencies that may arise. For mitigation, the State initiated ‘social distancing’ a week prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement and closed educational institutions, gyms and cinema halls. The Health and Family Welfare Department, Collectors and Municipal Commissioners have been authorised to make emergency procurement of necessary drugs and equipment. Seventy per cent of about 3,200 foreign returnees were identified as returning to six districts. These high-risk areas were locked down first. The pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the nation’s preparedness against infectious diseases. The historically neglected healthcare sector is now in focus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country’s domestic government health expenditure was estimated by at 1 per cent of its GDP in 2015, whereas the global average was 3.5 per cent.
The ancient Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 has major limitations and is in need of an overhaul. Additional deficiencies were discovered by the CAG (Report No. 25 of 2017), which found some health centres and district hospitals functioning in unhygienic environments, inaccessible to the public, or located beyond three kilometres from the remotest village. The shortfall in staff nurses was 64 per cent, while shortfall in paramedical staff was 34 per cent against IPHS standards. These would be the frontline health workers in the fight against the pandemic. Realising this shortfall, the Odisha Government has issued guidelines with clear instructions for community monitoring of quarantined homes.
Presently, disease surveillance must be prioritised. As the WHO recently warned, cases may spike upon lifting distancing measures if infected persons are not properly tracked and isolated. The Odisha Chief Minister’s suggestions on scaling up testing facilities and inclusion of private sector have been heeded as ICMR recently issued guidelines for testing by private laboratories. The supply of adequate protective medical gear to doctors, nurses and first-responders also cannot be compromised. These should be made available at the district level. Lastly, the Centre needs to do more to enhance isolation ward capacity across India. The views expressed here are the author’s own
The Odisha Government drew from its experience, strategy and infrastructure in contending with cyclonic events in recent years and declared the outbreak a disaster on March 12, before a single case was detected within the State.
(The author is a Rajya Sabha Member and Spokesperson, BJD)