COVID-19 Management: Odisha Leads from Front

Bhubaneswar: Community involvement, high test rate and low fatality have made Odisha the leading ‘performer’ in the management of COVID-19 in India.

This was revealed during a high-level review meeting on public health response to the coronavirus pandemic, held under the chairmanship of Union Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gouba with senior officials of the state government via video-conferencing on Thursday.

The following information relating to COVID-19 management in Odisha was revealed at the meeting:

— The rate of COVID test per million population in the state is 3029, while the all-India average of 2490.
👉One positive case is found in Odisha out of around 84 sample tests against the national average of one case per 21 tests.
👉The case-fatality ratio in Odisha is 0.42%, compared to the national average of 2.86%.
👉 A total of 1,39,311 COVID tests have been completed in Odisha till May 28.
👉 Recovery rate in Odisha is around 49%, while the corresponding figure for the entire country is 42%.

During the interaction, additional chief secretary Health & Family Welfare, Pradipta Kumar Mahapatra said that the number of daily recoveries and discharge from hospitals and temporary medical camps (TMCs) during the last week is more than the positive cases found on the same day.

“The wave of community participation through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and self-help groups (SHGs) has been another achievement of Odisha. The TMCs and quarantine centres are being managed at panchayat level through active participation of the sarpanch, elected representatives, SHGs and the people,” Mahapatra added.

Chief secretary Asit Tripathy, special secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Shalini Pandit, COVID-19 OSD to chief secretary Vishal Dev and managing director, Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL) Yamini Sarangi also participated in the video conference along with other senior officials from Lok Seva Bhawan.