In another move for fight against Covid-19, the State is now ready with trained doctors, technical and non-technical workforce for countering any eventual surge of patients in future. More than 90 per cent of drafted workforce have been trained, empowered and made confident.
This was revealed in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy here wherein Labour and ESI Secretary and Chairman HR and Capacity Building Committee for Covid-19 Anu Garg outlined the issues for discussion.
Reviewing the present Covid fight manpower situation, Tripathy lauded the efforts of the HR and Capacity Building Committee for accomplishing a huge task within very limited time.
The Chief Secretary also inaugurated the Odisha Covid-19 Workforce Portal in the meeting.
Garg appraised that so far 8,023 doctors, 8,296 staff nurses, 4,105 paramedics and lab technicians, 4,114 AYUSH doctors, 4,905 ambulance drivers,1,35,820 ANM/ASHA/AWW workers, 7,236 cleaning staff have been drafted as Covid-19 workforce. More than 90% of this workforce has been trained.
Health Secretary NB Dhal added, “The medical students of 7th, 8th and 9th Semesters volunteered for Covid duty, and, as of now 8,325 students from MBBS, AYUSH and Nursing Wings have also been trained in Covid-19 care”. Besides, 108 doctors, 64 staff nurse and 61 pharmacists from ESI and private sector hospitals have also been trained. At the grassroots level 33,900 functionaries of Temporary Medical Camps (TMCs) set up in different Panchayats have also been trained about management of TMCs, health, nutrition, water and sanitation. They have also been oriented towards care of children, women and trauma shocks. Around 753 counsellors have been trained for psycho-social support to the patients and their family.
The Odisha Disaster Management Authority in coordination with UNFPA and UNICEF has also trained 2,471 volunteers.
Further, Garg said, “The workforces have been trained with Covid-19 basics, field surveillance, epidemiology, critical care and treatment of covid patients, ICU management of the patients, infection and prevention control. The training modules have been designed as per the research input and guidelines from ICMR, Ministry of Health and AIIMS.