The state government made it clear as people fear thatthey may get coronavirus infection if they visit hospitals.
The government also said that doctors, nurses andother para-medical staff engaged to treat COVID-19 patientswill not handle other patients.
"I assure people that there is no COVID-19 patient inany of the state-run medical colleges including SCB MedicalCollege and Hospital in Cuttack and other districtheadquarters hospitals. Therefore, people can freely visitgovernment and private hospitals without fear," said Healthand Family Welfare secretary N B Dhal.
He said there is no COVID patient in SCB MedicalCollege Hospital in Cuttack or in any other medical college inthe state. Though there is one COVID-19 negative personadmitted at Capital Hospital here, he will be discharged soon,Dhal said.
People should now feel safe in general hospitals, bothgovernment and private, the health secretary said, adding theprivate hospitals have been instructed not to admit anyCOVID-19 patient and to refer all with flu symptoms to thespecial hospitals.
Indicating that the number of COVID-19 patientsswelled in rich countries because they did not segregate novelcoronavirus patients from others, Dhal said: "Odishagovernment is extremely careful in this regard as COVID-19 isa highly infectious disease."
He said the state has, meanwhile, developed sevenspecial COVID-19 hospitals where confirmed and suspectedpatients are being treated. Therefore, people should not beafraid that they will get corona infection if they visithospitals.
Dhal, however, suggested people to use TelemedicineHelpline and daily 104 control room where doctors are presentround the clock to guide. The people should not get panic overthe pandemic.
Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) ProfCBK Mohanty said private hospitals have been asked to createseparate COVID corner for screening of the patients. If theysuspect COVID in any one, they will refer it to COVIDhospital.
The state has so far created seven special COVID-19Hospitals with a total bed strength of 1,497. Apart from twomajor hospitals like SUM Hospital and KIMS Hospital inBhubaneswar, Ashiwini Hospital has already become operationalin Cuttack.
Two Tata Hospitals, at Duburi in Jajpur district andat Joda in Keonjhar district, are also ready for COVID-19treatment. Hi-Tech Hospital is also all prepared to treatpatients at Rourkela in Sundergarh district, while ID Hospitalin Puri is also ready for treatment of COVID-19 patients, anofficial said. AAM SKRG RG