State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Friday talked to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan through videoconferencing on various issues and urged the Centre to give permission of CBNET and TRUENET to the ICMR for extensive Covid blood test in Odisha.
He requested the Centre to realise the problems of the workers of the State stranded in other States on a priority basis and issue necessary guidelines to all States to make arrangements for safe return of the workers to their home States after doing necessary Covid tests and issuing identity cards to them.
For this, the Centre should supply the required test kits to all States, Das said.
Das proposed to set up a Special Economic Zone in Odisha for manufacture of medicines and medical equipments.
He further added that a National Health Disaster Management Centre should be established in Odisha to impart training on health disaster management to the concerned persons.
Das also requested Vardhan to set up an Integrated Health Research Centre in Odisha.