BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Thursday announced to set up two more plasma banks to ensure adequate provisioning of the promising therapy to needy Covid-19 patients in the worst-hit areas. The banks will come up at MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) at Berhampur and Capital Hospital at Bhubaneswar next month.
While the first plasma bank is functional at SCB MCH at Cuttack and therapy started at three Covid hospitals, one more bank will also be set up at IGH, Rourkela for Western Odisha patients.Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said since critical patients are responding well to plasma therapy, efforts are on to provide the therapy to more patients. “We have made elaborate arrangements for the donors to come to Cuttack, stay there and donate plasma after required tests. Once the recovered persons express their willingness through the health helpline, the department will start the rest of the process,” he said.
Attributing the door-to-door screening of symptomatic cases and comorbid conditions to the rise in number of Covid-19 cases, Mohapatra urged people not to panic.“Health workers are visiting house to house to identify people with symptoms. People should not hide their symptoms and need to come forward for tests. Districts have been asked to ensure that no potential case goes undetected,” he said.
Once the comorbidities of people are identified, the State Government will launch mobile vans with medicines to address mental health issues among people. Six more labs that would be ready in next 10 days, will conduct RT-PCR tests. Currently, RT-PCR tests are being done at 19 labs.Of the 11,010 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, Mohapatra said 3,000 tests were done through rapid antigen kits.
There are three lakh antigen test kits in store and sufficient kits have been dispatched to all medical colleges and district headquarters hospitals.The Health department is ramping up health infrastructure keeping in mind the possible spike in cases in coming months.
Collectors have been directed to prepare vision documents for next six months and be ready with their plans that can be executed in a short notice.He appealed patients with no or mild symptoms to remain in home isolation instead of putting pressure on the existing infrastructure if they have facilities.The Government will definitely shift them to hospital if they complain any serious health complications, he added.