BHUBANESWAR: As Covid-19 cases among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) continue to rise, the ST & SC Development Department on Wednesday released a special package for 13 such communities residing in 14 districts of the State.
Apart from provision of free masks and sanitisers to all PVTGs and door-to-door screening for Covid-19 symptoms, the department has decided to distribute dry ration kits worth Rs 2,500 each to all Covid-affected PVTG households.
“Since this is the mango plucking season, the PVTGs fear losing their daily income if infected and isolated for days. To compensate this loss, we have decided to provide all the PVTGs who are in Covid grip and under institutional quarantine an incentive of Rs 1,400 and a wage compensation of Rs 100 a day”, said Ranjana Chopra, secretary of the department.
According to the department reports, 230 PVTGs across 17 Micro Project Areas (MPAs) in State have been affected by Covid-19 so far. Apart from these vulnerable tribal communities, the focus has also been on staff working at the grassroots, in special package. The community resource persons (CRPs) who are in the frontline of Covid fight at all the PVTG villages will get an additional incentive of Rs 1,000 a month for a period of four months. Currently, the CRPs get a monthly salary of Rs 5,500. Similarly, life insurance coverage will be extended to all the field functionaries under the MPAs of the department.
“Funds have also been placed for repair and renovation of isolation centres (residential educational institutions) at villages, Covid care centres at MPA level as and when required. Dedicated ambulances have been kept in readiness in all the PVTG inhabited areas for emergency transport of the patients”, said Chopra.
With tribals being hesitant towards getting tested, she informed that the collectors have been directed to collaborate with tribal influencers to motivate their people to get tested besides, all partner NGOs asked to convince the tribals for the purpose. Odisha has 1,34,000 PVTGs residing in 541 villages under 17 MPAs.
Covid fatalities spike as cases decline in Odisha
Odisha saw a spike in Covid fatalities as 40 more succumbed to the disease in last 24 hours - the highest single day deaths reported in the State so far. The disease had claimed 37 lives a day before. With this, the total deaths in the pandemic soared to 2,831 including the highest 476 from Khurda, 284 from Ganjam and 270 from Sundargarh. However, what has emerged a major cause of concern is a high proportion of people without comorbidities falling victim to the disease.
Over 60 per cent (pc) people who succumbed to the disease in May had no comorbidity and around 45 pc were below 50 years. Official sources said despite improvement in Covid treatment, people are succumbing due to late diagnosis and delay in admission for treatment. A senior health official said sudden dip in oxygen saturation level in blood leading to breathlessness was the major symptoms of the second wave.
“We have been witnessing since the first wave that the number of deaths increase two to four weeks after the rise in the number of cases as that is the period taken for symptoms to become serious and treatment to progress,” the official claimed. As many as 8,399 people also tested positive for the virus.