BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has decided to distribute health kits to people with COVID-19 who are under home isolation. The kits comprise dos and don’ts, a few basic medicines and a list of telephone numbers of doctors, counsellors, tele-medicine professionals and government officials.
Reviewing the COVID-19 situation on Wednesday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked officials to promote home isolation of patients with no or mild symptoms as a good practice. The home isolation kits will enable them to call appropriate numbers regarding medical, psycho-social and other assistance if and when required, he said.
The state government has allowed home isolation as the preferred mode, both in urban and rural areas after considering global practices as well as experiences of different states that home isolation provides better and early healing for asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms.
So far, more than 8000 patients, who were in home isolation, have recovered and now around 3190 patients are in home isolation in the state.
The Chief Minister asked collectors to ensure that testing is accelerated at sub-divisional hospitals and community health centres by involving block development officers and Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, who play an active role in motivating people to voluntarily come forward for testing.
While the officials have been directed to launch a campaign at local levels to destigmatise people with COVID-19, the PRI members were urged to make people understand how the disease spreads. Fear of the disease and stigma must be removed from the minds of people so that they would opt for home isolation, Naveen said.
The CM appreciated the efforts of health professionals and other frontline COVID warriors in helping the government put up a good fight against the pandemic and stressed that plasma donation must be popularised at all levels.
He asked officials to focus on Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur and Sundargarh districts which are seeing a rapid surge in new infections. After the worst-hit Ganjam that accounts for about 26 percent cases, the four districts contribute over 40 percent of cases in the state.
“We have been dynamically assessing the situation and preparing an advance plan for creating adequate infrastructure, procuring testing kits and consumables. From testing to treatment and accommodation to food, everything is provided free of cost. Nobody should suffer without being able to get treatment in Odisha,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government has ramped up testing across the state. As many as 32,053 tests have been conducted at 53 labs in the last 24 hours. “With five more labs getting ready for tests soon, we have planned to conduct 45,000 to 50,000 tests from August 20 onwards. Private labs have also been asked to enhance their testing capacity. Training of laboratory technicians has been rolled out,” Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department PK Mohapatra said.