To check spread of the coronaviurs in hotspot Ganjam district, plasma therapy treatment would begin at the Sheetalapalli Tata Covid Hospital on Tuesday and a 100-bed Covid Hospital with 16 ICU beds would be established at the Amit Hospital at Brahmapur soon.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced these health facilities and many other measures for Ganjam after conducting a review meeting on the Covid situation in the district on Monday through videoconferencing.
“Plasma therapy has yielded good results. It will begin in Ganjam on Tuesday so that serious Covid patients will benefit. This will help reduce death rate,” said Patnaik.
A 100-bed Covid Hospital having 16 ICU beds would come up at the Amit Hospital and it would be managed by Cuttack’s Ashwini Hospital. An MoU between the district administration and the Ashwini Hospital has been signed for this initiative.
In order to strengthen the manpower in Ganjam, two IAS officers, 25 OAS officers, 105 ORS officers, 30 MBBS doctors, 100 Ayush doctors and 27 laboratory technicians have already been deployed in the district. Three DSPs and 10 platoons of police force would be sent soon.
The CM also announced a financial grant of Rs 25 crore to Ganjam from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
To ensure timely response to patients, ambulance service would be strengthened in the district. The district Collector has been empowered to deploy as many as 100 ambulances as per the requirement.
The CM directed that professionals be involved for mental health counselling during the Covid period.
Besides, he also announced special incentives for doctors, paramedics and Class-IV employees engaged in Covid Hospitals, Covid Health Centres and Covid Care Centres.
While doctors would get an incentive of Rs 1,000 per day, paramedics would get Rs 500 Class-IV Rs 200.
ASHA Workers and Anganwadi Workers who are engaged in door-to-door survey would get an incentive of Rs 1,000 per month.
Among others, Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro, Forests and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh and Health Miniser Naba Kishore Das attended the videoconference.