KENDRAPARA: As many as 218 people, who had returned from abroad and 630 from other parts of the country, have been placed under home quarantine in the district. Additional District Medical Officer Dr Mirza Babbar Baig said all of them have been advised to remain in isolation for two weeks in their homes and not interact with others. Authorities have set up isolation wards for 100 patients in hospitals across the district. “We want people with travel history to pay heed to the advice of health officials and behave responsibly to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The authorities will arrest those who skip the mandatory social-distancing period,” he said.
In fact, the district administration on Sunday sought help of police to keep 30 persons, who returned to their villages from Mumbai, in their homes. Five Bangladeshis including a seven-year-old boy and a person who had returned from Mumbai were recently admitted to isolation ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack. “We are on high alert to provide preliminary treatment to all suspected coronavirus patients,” said Dr Baig.
However, a major challenge is tracing 25,000 people from the district who work as plumbers abroad. Most are employed in the Middle East countries and returning home. “It is high time for the Health and Family Welfare department to set up isolation wards for 500 persons in the hospitals across the district to check the spread of coronavirus as hundreds of plumbers and others are rushing to their villages from their work places,” said Jagajiban Das, a trade union leader of Kendrapara. Most of the plumbers belong to Pattamundai, Aul, Rajkanika and Rajnagar blocks.
With such odds at hand, large scale vacancies in hospitals and health centres are a major problem. Of 171 sanctioned posts of doctors in Kendrapara, 70 are lying vacant for the last two years. The highest number of vacancies are in the district headquarters hospital which has 40 doctors against the sanctioned strength of 62. “We have already informed the authorities about vacancies and hope Government will soon appoint more doctors in the district,” said Dr Baig. Health services have taken a back seat in 230 gram panchayats with a population of 14.60 lakh owing to shortage of doctors. Government health care centres, especially Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres are marred by gross inadequacies in terms of staff, basic infrastructure and and medicines,” said former minister and senior Congress leader Ganeswar Behera.
Eye on travellers
● Administration seeks help of police to keep 30 persons, who returned to their villages from Mumbai, in their homes
● 5 Bangladeshis including a seven-year-old boy were recently admitted to isolation ward of SCBMCH
● Most of the plumbers belong to Pattamundai, Aul, Rajkanika and Rajnagar blocks