Keeping in view the urgency for effective Covid management, the State Government on Tuesday increased the retirement age of doctors from 62 years to 65 years.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the increase in the retirement age of Medical Officers of the OHMS cadre as well as the Insurance Medical Officers working under the Labour and ESI Department.
Reviewing the Covid situation in Khordha and Cuttack districts, Patnaik announced allocation of Rs 15 crore each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the two districts for effective Covid management.
He also sanctioned Rs 20.64 crore for running of new dedicated Covid Hospitals and Covid Care Centres (CCCs) in the two districts.
A 150-bed dedicated Covid Hospital having a 30-bed ICU would be set up at Bhubaneswar by the Aditya-Ashwini Hospital. A 126-bed dedicated Covid Hospital with 15 ICUs would be operational at the Neelachal Hospital this week.
With support of three Bhubaneswar MLAs, community, religious organisations, resident welfare associations and NGOs, a total of 1,385 beds in Covid Care Homes would be established soon.
Patnaik said special focus is being given on the slum areas to contain the spread of the virus. He advised the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to appreciate and incentivise the good work done by the slum committees.
He informed that an additional 925 beds in Covid Hospitals and Covid Care Centres have been established in Cuttack district.
He said special focus would be given on slums and with support of Puja Committees and Sahi Committees.
A training and information centre on Covid-19 would be operational at the SCB Medical College soon.
The Molecular Genome Lab in SCB would be upgraded for viral and human host genome sequencing to predict the prognosis of Covid-19 patients, the CM said.
“Even though more than 1 lakh migrants have returned, the situation is still under control in Khordha (including Bhubaneswar) and Cuttack districts. Khordha and Cuttack have recorded recovery rates of 70% and 71% , respectively, against the national average of 63%,” he informed.
While the Health ACS informed that three patients in Ganjam district were administered plasma on Tuesday, the Chief Minister advised him to appoint psychiatric doctors to look after mental health of the cured patients in all districts.
It was decided that more temporary outpatient outdoors (OPDs) would be opened at the SCB Medical College Hospital.