Odisha's Twin City to get new dedicated COVID hospitals with 461 beds, 148 ICUs

A portion of the Surgery ward of SLN Medical College at Koraput will be converted to a 70-bed DCH having five ICU beds. 
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)
For representational purposes (Photo | PTI)

BHUBANESWAR: Faced with criticism over delay in expansion of health infrastructure and fast deteriorating response mechanism for people amid a rapid surge in coronavirus cases in the Twin City, the State Government on Friday approved new hospitals while devising a multi-pronged strategy to contain the spread of Covid-19.

With cases in Cuttack city multiplying at an alarming rate and the solely dedicated hospital running out of beds, the Government has announced the establishment of a 200-bed COVID unit at SCB Medical College and Hospital. The unit will be equipped with 39 ICUs while another dedicated COVID wing with 30 beds for maternity patients will be set up at the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department of the hospital.

Besides, private hospitals like Sun Hospital and Srusti Hospital will be converted into dedicated COVID hospitals (DCH) with 105 general beds and 30 ICUs, and 60 beds and 15 ICUs respectively. In Bhubaneswar, KIDS hospital will be turned into a DCH with 66 general beds and 34 ICU with 10 ventilators while Capital Hospital and Aditya Ashwini Hospital will add five and 25 additional ICU beds respectively.

A portion of the Surgery ward of SLN Medical College at Koraput will be converted to a 70-bed DCH having five ICU beds. Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy held a review of the situation in the Twin City on Friday and directed health authorities to strengthen the information system for the people immediately. People providing samples for tests must get the results, negative or positive within 48 hours without fail, he directed.  

He also asked the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to clearly publicise the places and timing of sample collection and make sure that rapid response teams handle cases with greater sensitivity without causing panic in the neighbourhood while shifting or attending patients.

Since there is a clear line-listing of comorbid and vulnerable population in the slum areas, the Chief Secretary directed to intensify door-to-door surveillance across all households in non-slum areas with the support of residential welfare associations and prepare layouts to ring fence those who are vulnerable. 

BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary, who attended the meeting, was asked to submit a list of required personnel category-wise to the Health and Family Welfare department by Sunday so that adequate staff can be mobilised for conducting the surveillance activities.

Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said BMC will popularise its toll free no. 1929 as the Covid helpline on all issues - testing, ambulance and hospitalisation. There will be a seamless integration between the two toll free numbers - 1929 and 104 so that all calls meant for BMC land at 1929, he said.

The call centre will be made functional 24x7 as people seeking medical attention may call during night. BMC has been directed to increase staff strength at the call centre and sensitise them to take calls with empathy.

On reinforcement of manpower, the Chief Secretary directed Khurda Collector to immediately shift 50 paramedical workers from the CHCs which are not being utilised and place them with BMC besides redistributing the remaining paramedical staff in the district.

The municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been directed to galvanise the community for adhering to the Covid-19 protocols by organising people-connect programmes with the participation of health experts and officials.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com