Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday dedicated nine ECMO machines at the SCB Medical College Hospital here, the largest ECMO unit in eastern India, to the people of Odisha ahead of a possible Covid-19 third wave. With operation of the unit at the hospital, the critical Covid patients would no longer travel to other States for ECMO treatment. The State Government would bear all the expenses towards expensive treatment of the patients.“The ECMO treatment is very costly. But, the State Government will provide the treatment free of cost to critical Covid patients,” Patnaik said in a video message after inaugurating machines. Source said that a large unit using six ECMO machines will be made available for Covid-recovered patients and another small one using three machines for infected persons at hospital. Speaking on the devastation caused by Covid-19, he said, “The second wave of the pandemic was much painful. Even as the lockdown restrictions have been relaxed, the pandemic is not yet over. We have to remain more cautious for the impending third wave.”
According to medical experts, children would be affected severely during the third wave, the CM stated and urged the citizens to adhere to Covid safety protocols to save children from the deadly virus. The Government has recruited highly-qualified medical professionals for ECMO unit. Notably, many Covid patients require ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) treatment post their recovery.