35 of 37 active COVID-19 patients do not need hospital care: Odisha NHM director
"Of the 37 active COVID-19 cases in the state, only two require hospital care while the remaining 35 patients do not have any symptoms," Odisha NHM director Shalini Pandit said while briefing the media.
Altogether, 12 of the 50 COVID-19 patients in the state have been discharged so far after they were fully cured, she said.
Two patients were discharged from hospital earlier, while 10 others were declared free from the disease on Friday.
About one-fourth of the state's 50 COVID-19 patients have been cured within a fortnight, Pandit said, adding that the 35 others will be discharged from the hospitals very soon.
One person died in the state after contracting the disease, according to the state government data.
"None of the 35 patients has flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough and other difficulties," she said.
Only 8 per cent of the total COVID-19 patients in Odisha fall in the high-risk category as they are 60 years of age or above, the official said.
Pandit, who is looking after surveillance, sample collection and testing in the wake of the pandemic, said the sophisticated COBAS Machine has been commissioned at the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) which substantially enhanced the state's COVID-19 testing capacity.
Now, coronavirus testing is no more confined to coastal Odisha or towns as efforts are on to collect samples from all 6,798 gram panchayats, including tribal pockets,across 30 districts, she said, adding that this is being done because around 80 per cent of COVID-19 patients do not show any symptoms before detection.
The MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and IGH, Rourkela will begin testing. The Institute of Life Sciences which has got the permission of the Department ofBiotechnology, Government of India will also begin testing, she said.
The testing will commence next week, the official pointed out.
"There is enough stock of sanitizers, triple-layer surgical masks, N-95 masks and other protective gears for all the healthcare personnel working in government hospitals, she said.
Pandit said for capacity building of medical personnel for critical care, training on COVID-19 treatment and screening has been imparted to 416 faculty members and staff of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack and 72 people of MKCG Medical College in Berhampur.
Around 1,600 medical officers and staff of directorate of AYUSH have also been trained in basic COVID-19 management, Pandit said.
As many as 906 persons of four dental colleges, including all faculties along with third and final year students, have been trained to handle basic COVID-19 cases.To expedite special COVID-19 health facilities, 6,939 temporary medical centres have been set up in 6,798 gram panchayats with a provision of 1,62,142 beds.
Each panchayat has been allocated Rs 5 lakh to open a special COVID-19 medical centre, she said, adding that community health centres (CHCs) and primary health centres (PHCs) have been given Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively for providing basic facilities and sanitization.
The NHM director said till 9 am on Saturday, 3,547 samples have been tested of which 50 tested positive. AAM SKN SBN RDMRDM