BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government has decided to provide complete kits to COVID-19 positive persons opting for isolation at their homes. The home isolation kits comprise basic medicines, safety gear, a list of telephone numbers of doctors, counsellors, telemedicine professionals and Government officials along with a comprehensive guide on dos and don’ts during isolation.
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 self-care with medical support on call if situation arises. They can call appropriate numbers regarding medical, psycho-social and other assistance if and when required, he said.
The State Government has allowed home isolation both in urban and rural areas after considering global practices as well as experiences that claim that it provides better and early healing for asymptomatic and persons with mild symptoms. So far, more than 8,000 patients, who were in home isolation, have recovered. Around 3,190 patients are presently in home isolation in the State.
The Chief Minister asked Collectors to ensure that testing is accelerated 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 de-stigmatise COVID-19, the PRI members were urged to make people understand how the disease spreads.
Naveen said that fear for the disease and stigma must be removed from the minds of people so that they would opt for home isolation. The CM asked officials to focus on Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur and Sundargarh districts which are facing a rapid surge in new infections.
After Ganjam that accounts for about 26 per cent cases, the four districts contribute over 40 pc.Meanwhile, the State 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 are 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 Health department PK Mohapatra said.