Dikhyaa Mohanty 
As the rising of the monkeypox cases in India, the Odisha government has made SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack the nodal centre for management of the rare viral infection.
With the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the global monkeypox outbreak a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ (PHEIC) which is one step below that of a ‘pandemic’, the Odisha government has sounded an alert to health officials to deal with the possible monkeypox cases.
A team comprising of doctors from various departments such as medicine, gynaecology, microbiology, dermatology and pediatric has been formed by the hospital administration. Currently, the premier health institute is prepared with a separate isolation ward and four ICU beds for the virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
