BHUBANESWAR: After a devastating 2020, the year 2021 proved to be even deadlier with the spread of Covid-19 as Odisha battled a fierce second wave. Belying everybody’s perception that coronavirus will lose its potency, the virus returned with a vengeance and tested the resilience of healthcare infrastructure exposing the glaring gaps in the delivery system.
Starting from the western districts in mid-March, the Delta variant-led Covid re-curve continued to grow steeper, taking the entire state under its grip in a month. The virus made inroads into the peripheral districts and the hinterlands prompting the government to reactivate the Covid facilities by adding more ventilators and beds in ICU.
The state witnessed an unprecedented number of cases as hospitals in remote districts grappled with patients during the May-July period, when the share of severe cases increased significantly as compared to 2020. Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) became a scarce item as demand soared following a significant rise in hospitalisation cases. The second wave was far more fatal than the first one.
The loss of lives was four times more this year with those below 60 years worst hit. The state has so far announced 6,579 deaths due to Covid-19 during the second wave as compared to 1,876 fatalities in the first wave. As many as 7,24,294 new cases were recorded this year against 3,29,866 cases last year.
Despite the reconciliation of deaths by the Health Department during September, the exact number of Covid deaths remained a controversy as Odisha recorded over 20,000 additional deaths in 2021 as compared to 2020. With the fear of the virus keeping patients away from hospitals, non-Covid treatment was also badly hit.
As disease severity assumed alarming proportions in peripheral districts due to delayed testing, emergency procurement of equipment and instruments was done to establish a network of RT-PCR laboratories covering all districts and streamlining the tests. Medical oxygen plants were also set up in all districts with funding support from the Centre. People in the Twin cities were ensured doorstep delivery of oxygen.
Odisha earned praises from across the country by embarking upon the corporate philanthropy route, helping 15 states and UTs in tiding over the massive LMO crisis. Beginning April 22, the state transported over 30,000 tonnes of medical oxygen to different states.
To manage the huge influx of migrants, more than 18,000 TMCs and 8,867 Covid care homes (CCH) with over 1.78 lakh bed capacity were established by the government that worked under the supervision of PRI representatives.
Odisha also set up extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) facility at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack for providing free treatment to critically ill Covid patients. Separate paediatric care units were established in all Covid facilities, District Headquarters Hospitals and selected CHCs to deal with affected children.
Even as the vaccine was rolled out early this year, the shortage of adequate doses led to chaos and confusion among the beneficiaries. People were seen standing overnight in long queues to get their shots despite the scheduled booking. The state government’s efforts to procure vaccines directly from manufacturers did not yield desired results forcing it to depend on the Central allocation on the basis of population and vaccination.
While the rage of an intense Covid-19 wave driven by Delta was not enough, other illnesses from mucormycosis (black fungus), multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), dengue and scrub typhus added to the health woes of people. An array of post-Covid complications affected several people including children. Mucormycosis was seen in post-Covid patients due to steroid usage. Many children also suffered from MIS.
Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue saw an upward trend this year with the state registering more than 15 times the number of dengue cases that were reported last year. Since the virus will continue to float around mutating itself and sparking new variants, as we bid adieu to 2021, we can only wish it to be less fatal.